


Psyche

by PuppetMaster55



Category: Naruto
Genre: Awkward Boners, Awkward Conversations, Awkward Crush, M/M, Nightmares, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Romance, basically a whole lot of awkward, kurama is not kyuubi's name, kyuubi learns how to human
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-21
Updated: 2016-05-29
Packaged: 2018-04-16 12:31:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 48,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4625460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuppetMaster55/pseuds/PuppetMaster55
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From a single mistake everything changes. Now Kyuubi will set out to define "being human".</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mistake

The darkness permeated everything, yet hid nothing. All around it, there was nothing but the endless blank, a stark black that made knowing whether it was dark or that was just the nature of the place unknown. Nothing appeared to live within this space, if it could be called space, yet only one thing existed within.

The Kyuubi.

Resting on it's haunches, it looked to the only thing of interest within the space- a gate, as large as it was and just as wide. Staring at the gate, it looked past the bars, flimsy strands of rusted metal that held their way no matter what they were attacked with. Beyond the barred gate was a flooded room, water dripping down from the leaking pipes to join its wayward half on the floor. The room itself was small, and would barely accommodate Kyuubi, even if it were to somehow become even _smaller_. Scrunching up it's nose in disgust, though not at any smells- for there existed none within the black space- it thought back to how it had gotten where it was now.

It began countless centuries ago, though how many was lost on Kyuubi, who knew neither about time nor how it was measured. All it knew was that it existed to destroy. So destroy it did, attacking these tiny creatures it came across, slaughtering them as though they were nothing to it- which they were- before finding a valley within the mountains or a canyon in the desert to rest in, recuperating the energy that it hadn't known it had expended. How long it rested before attacking again it didn't know, for such things were inconsequential to a great being such as it. But that was how it lived, attacking and resting, in an endless cycle. Over time, it came across other beings similar to it- great beasts that looked different yet were exactly like it. Occasionally, they fought over the right to slaughter a settlement of those tiny creatures, only to find that their fight had removed the settlement from existence. During the attacks, the few of those tiny creatures that had somehow made their way down Kyuubi's throat were eaten up by the energy that it was made of- turning them into a part of it. They brought with them their memories and knowledge, and over time Kyuubi had built up a sense of self, a knowledge that was new to it. With that sense of self came the new knowledge that it could do more, be more than before. It found that wanting to be and do more would give it something that it found itself desperately lacking- purpose.

With that newfound individualization, Kyuubi started going after those humans- what those tiny creatures it slaughtered called themselves- that could give it a real fight, that could force it to better itself, and find it's purpose in the process. However, those early battles tended to leave Kyuubi resting more often- though it happened less and less as time wore on. One of it's more memorable battles- and one it detested- was against a human that called itself Hokage. It fought the human, thinking itself invincible, and wound up obeying him, due to the controlling nature of his energy, which manifested in trees that sapped it of it's energy.

Another memorable battle was against two humans that looked much too alike, that Kyuubi had ended up eating- by accident, of course. For fourteen cycles of the sun, they had raged within it's stomach, and it felt pain for the first time when they started consuming it's flesh. Feeling rage at that, Kyuubi had had its first coherent thought.

_If they want to eat me, then let's see how much they can take._

After the fourteenth cycle, Kyuubi could take no more of them, and willed itself to expel them from it's stomach.

It was some time later that a man had appeared, looking much like that 'Hokage', yet had strangely familiar red eyes. The man introduced himself as Uchiha Madara, and said that Kyuubi was his pet.

When Kyuubi awoke, it found itself pinned down, giant spikes ramming themselves through all its tails, even its paws. Looking around, it found that it wasn't pinned on the ground so much as it was pinned against a giant ethereal orange ball of energy, with a red-haired woman standing before it.

"So you are Kyuubi." She had said, staring at it. It roared in response, not knowing how to communicate with her. "Perhaps I shall teach you some manners."

So began its lessons on humans and their lives. Most of it was forgotten as soon as it was learned, but some things- such as how to talk and that the energy was called chakra- stuck. She'd visited it regularly, showing it her memories of things that it was to learn. Some of the things were quite marvelous, like those 'jutsu' that ninja used, while others were completely useless- knowing how to properly greet a superior had no point. One of the more interesting things it learned was that it was sealed within the woman, causing her to teach it about seals, and to learn about a new type of human- Jinchuuriki.

Throughout its time sealed, Kyuubi learned many things, though the most important thing it learned was when the woman- Mito, she had called herself- was with child. The spikes keeping it trapped were loosening, though when it tried to escape during birth, it was driven back by the chakra of that one man- that 'Hokage'.

Over the years, Mito had aged, though she still maintained those regular lessons, despite having already exhausted all the topics to teach it about. Often, they conversed, discussing different things, such as their lives, though the popular topic was Kyuubi itself. They talked about its early life, the creation of its sense of self, and how it had sought out ninja to challenge itself, to be and do more than it could.

"Perhaps this is my purpose." It had told her, referring to it's life within her. She had laughed it off.

At one point, when Mito was getting on in years, Kyuubi had asked her a simple question.

"What does it mean to have emotions?"

She'd answered that emotions were what made all things, human or no, so much _more_. That to have emotions, be they positive or negative, were what separated people from monsters.

"And what of emotions to other people?" It had asked, curious about the subject. Mito then told it about love and hate, and how they were deeply intertwined.

"To hate, one must first love." She had summarized, though Kyuubi barely understood her. "The opposite of love is apathy, which is when you simply don't care about the person enough to have loved them in the first place."

This had continued for many years, until she came one day to tell him that it was going to be removed from her- which it was pleased about, having dreamt of seeing the outside world for some time now. Of course, such an emotion was still rather new to Kyuubi, as it had developed such things as 'emotions' over the years within Mito. The pleasure at being released was short-lived, however, when she followed up by saying that Kyuubi was to be sealed within another, younger host. The anger at being denied it's freedom had Kyuubi thrashing and so furious, that it had missed the opportunity to escape when it was unsealed from Mito and sealed within a young girl, looking quite like a young Mito.

When Kyuubi came to, it found itself back in the state it was in after having been sealed within Mito. There was an immediate feeling of guilt at having been the cause of Mito's death- the two having grown quite fond of each other. Of course, that guilt was short-lived when Kyuubi felt it's chakra being pulled and used by that girl, and the guilt was replaced with anger- anger at Mito, for having denied it the chance to live a new life with its knowledge, anger at Madara for having used it, anger at this girl for having the audacity to use its chakra at her will, and anger at itself, for not having acted when it was being transferred from Mito. Kyuubi spent the first few months sealed within the girl- Kushina, it had learned, was her name- wondering if there was anything it could have done to gain it's freedom without killing Mito, wondering if it should have apologized to her, wondering if it would ever meet her again. The last one was highly doubtful, as there seemed to be no lifespan to determine whether or not Kyuubi would ever die. Eventually, it concluded that they were just empty possibilities, and no amount of ruminating would change the past.

Kushina, as it would come to find, was _not_ like Mito. She didn't visit it, and when she did, it was only to demand it's chakra. Whenever it contested her, she simply willed the chains on the spikes yank taut, causing immeasurable pain hitherto unknown to it until it relented and gave her the chakra, after which she would leave the chains taut for some time, only loosening them when she no longer needed it's chakra.

Kushina was, to coin a vulgar term it learned from her during one of those times, a bitch.

Of course, after it concluded that, Kyuubi took to doing the one thing it could do- watch her memories, something that Mito had taught it to do after having expressed displeasure at having nothing to entertain itself with. From those memories, it found that Kushina was just as much a bitch to others at she was to it, having a horrible temper and often beating up others when they made fun of her in the academy- which was the reason for all those times demanding its chakra when she was younger.

Of the many other children in the academy, one that it found had caught Kushina's eye was a blond-haired boy with an angular face, whom the girl had deemed a 'flake'- whatever that was. She continued to think that- her thoughts becoming quite loud as she aged, sometimes proclamations of "he's a flake!" would scream across the mindscape, making the Kyuubi wish that it was still sealed in Mito.

Kyuubi later wondered if that was what it was like to love another, and if it would ever love someone like it had Mito.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, as Kushina, after making Genin, was kidnapped by a group of ninja called 'Kumo-nin', who bore the same markings on their pieces of metal- Hitai-Ate, Mito had once told it- as those two that it had expelled from it's stomach. Feeling displeasure at having been bested by 'Kumo-nin' once more, if only by the proxy of it's jailer, Kyuubi wished for the worst of fates to befall them- death.

Kyuubi got it's wish, of course, but at the expense of the blond-haired flake suddenly becoming the object of Kushina's thoughts, to the point where it desperately wished for one of those ninja who dealt in the mind to appear before it and wipe the horror of having to watch her fantasies from its memory.

Kushina grew up, as all humans were wont to do, though Kyuubi wasn't able to view her aging first-hand, as she'd taken to no longer using it's chakra ever since meeting the blond-haired flake- whose name, it regretfully learned, was Minato. She'd remained in love with Minato, and the thoughts that ran through her mind-scape were proclamations of love for him, making Kyuubi feel something new- jealousy. Needless to say, it was vexed. Why was it jealous of some pitiful human for taking the affections of this woman who, albeit begrudgingly, had its respect for her audacity?

Kyuubi would never know the answer to that question.

Kushina, suffice to say, learned she was pregnant, though not from Kyuubi- it had long since given up on attempting to be anything other than the evil beast it both was and she thought of it. Kyuubi, being vaguely tied to her chakra system, had felt the sudden blossoming of a second chakra source, however faint, within Kushina, in the same spot as Mito when she was with child.

Seeing it's chance at freedom, Kyuubi used it's connection to Kushina- and the seal's shifting to protect the child- to nurse the tiny human, upping it's budding chakra system by having the child interact with Kyuubi's. The plan, of course, was to ensure that the child's chakra was far enough along by the time for the birth that almost all of the seal's efforts were directed at it, leaving Kushina weak enough for it to escape. So it lay in wait, feeling the chains loosen a little more each day, feeling the child's chakra grow stronger, drawing on more of the seal's power, until the day the child- a boy- was born.

When the day came, Kyuubi had raged, pushing and pulling with all it's might, struggling against both the chakra-enforced wills of Kushina and her lover, who had become Yondaime Hokage. The birth was long and hard, on both the parents and Kyuubi, before it was suddenly over. Knowing that the window of freedom was closing, Kyuubi let up on the battle momentarily, rethinking it's strategy, before the chains holding it in place were broken, allowing Kyuubi complete freedom.

Appearing above Kushina, Kyuubi let out a victorious roar, gazing around to see it's former container in her last moments alive, only to find the dark, malicious chakra of that bastard Madara, who was the only person it had once hated, but now felt nothing but apathy for.

Which didn't mean that it didn't want to kill him, just that it felt nothing towards him.

But then Madara looked Kyuubi in the eyes, and it was undone once more.

When Kyuubi awoke once more, it was being driven outside the walls of Konoha, which it had apparently been attacking. Charging a Biju Ball, as it called the preferred weapon used by it and it's brethren, Kyuubi was about to unleash it upon the village when a giant toad- which looked familiar, but Kyuubi couldn't place where it had seen it before- crashed into it from above. Turning its eyes, it saw that damned Yondaime standing atop the toad, before the human had jumped down and teleported the both of them near a tiny cottage, which was obliterated when the Biju Ball imploded. In the wake of the explosion, a child's cries could suddenly be heard, and Kyuubi looked over to see those damned chains of Kushina's explode from her back and engulf the area in a barrier- and bind Kyuubi. Looking at the crisscrossing chains in amusement, it turned back to see something that had it's blood run cold- the Shinigami.

Kyuubi was no fool- it knew what the presence of the Shinigami meant, and felt fear for the first time in its existence. Real fear, not simply cowardice, as all previous times it felt fear were like in comparison. Staring at the Shinigami, Kyuubi wondered if this was when it would die. Watching the god, it found that it hadn't moved from behind the Yondaime Hokage, who was talking with Kushina- probably to console her in her final moments. The Kyuubi scoffed to itself, disgusted at how pathetic humans were. It didn't matter that Kyuubi had had moments where it almost felt human, but _this_ , being out in the world, causing destruction wherever it went, this was what it truly was- Biju. This was its purpose- to die here, after gaining that purpose, was to lose everything.

And then the human had brought it's attention back to him, and he said one word.

"Seal!"

An ethereal hand, wrapped in a beaded rosary, burst from the Yondaime's stomach, and suddenly everything made sense to Kyuubi. The Shinigami wasn't there to kill it, it was there by the power of the Yondaime. As the hand pierced Kyuubi's left front leg, gripping it's soul, it could only think one thing-

_Damn you, Yondaime Hokage!_

The anger was short-lived, however, as soon the hand retracted, it pulled with it half of Kyuubi's power, with a part of it's soul. Kyuubi then felt itself shrinking, and looked down to find that it was only a fraction of the size- and power- that it used to be. Glancing at the chains, it saw that they hadn't yet compensated for the decrease in size, so it was free- for the moment. Bringing it's attention back to the Yondaime, it saw that he was moving the child into-

_The ceremonial pedestal! He plans on sealing me again!_

Feeling anger swell within it, Kyuubi waited for the best moment before lunging one paw forward, aiming to skewer the child and end the possibility of being sealed again. Suddenly, both the Yondaime and Kushina moved to intercept, allowing themselves to be impaled though the midsection while the chains constricted, stopping all movement. Off to the side, the Shinigami prepared to devour that half of Kyuubi's power and soul that it had taken, along with the Yondaime's soul.

"You bastard!" The Kyuubi spoke, it's first words in its corporeal body. It could do nothing but watch on as both humans talked to the child, and the Yondaime summoned a toad- which made Kyuubi remember where it had seen the giant one before- before all went black.

Which led Kyuubi to where it was now. When it had come to, all those years ago, it had fully expected to be chained to a ball of swirling chakra, like before, not the inky blackness that was only driven back by the gate in front of it.

That was 12 years ago, and Kyuubi was now waiting for the perfect opportunity to try something it had attempted before, but was never successful. Several weeks previously, its current container, an idiot much like its mother, had learned to create full copies of itself- complete with perfect clones of Kyuubi. The sudden backlash of memories of actions that it did not remember doing nearly sent it into conniptions. As its container used that jutsu more and more, Kyuubi learned that it was getting the memories of those clones, who had attempted to take over the clones they were contained in. Seeing an opportunity to escape, Kyuubi, whenever it felt itself being cloned along with the boy, it set about the task of seeing how it could take over one of those clones and use it to escape. The memories it got were ones of how Kyuubi could use the pull of its chakra to appear on the other side of the cage, with a slightly limited range of motion away from the cage, as wandering too far or pulling too much of its chakra with it through the cage would cause the seal to snap into action, sending the clones back in the black nothing within the seal.

Which led to its current problem. While it could tell that the boy was in battle, it could also feel that he was nearing the desperation of drawing on Kyuubi's chakra, albeit unconsciously. Closing it's eyes, Kyuubi put its plan into action, sending a tendril of chakra imbued with its entire consciousness out past the seal, making sure that the amount was minute enough to slip past the safeguards of the seal, while large enough to hide the massive mind held within. Once the tendril was a safe enough distance from the gate, a single tiny fox formed, not completely corporeal, but solid enough to allow it free range. Looking down, it saw the tiny thread of chakra connecting it back to the unconscious body that once held itself. Chuckling softly, it started to move when there was a groaning sound from behind, causing Kyuubi to pause. Turning around it saw that the amount of blue water- symbolic of the boy's own chakra, swirling outside the seal, catching the tiny thread and yanking both it and Kyuubi's chakra, both from the body and the tiny fox itself.

Hopping away, Kyuubi could only watch helplessly as the thread connecting it to it's body dragged it into the swirling vortex. Once there, Kyuubi's tiny fox body was dissolved into the chakra it was, and was pulled into the boy's chakra coils.

The experience was one Kyuubi would never forget. Twisting and turning, flowing and receding, folding in on itself and combining to create new forms, Kyuubi could tell that there was no thinking, was no being, only _doing_. Shifting it's consciousness, it used it's mind to control its chakra to speed around the coils, studying everything it could, it's curiosity knowing no bounds. It flowed everywhere, feeling the entire body at work- muscles moving as the boy threw punches, the heart beating furiously, filling up with blood before pumping it out and through the lungs, oxygenating the blood with every breath he took, before flowing out and throughout the entire body, providing important energy to anything and everything in its path.

Kyuubi felt... _intoxicated_. The flowing chakra, never stopping, never ending, never slowing, was addictive to feel, to experience. Going around, Kyuubi reveled in the rush it got from flowing with the boy's own chakra, not even noticing nor caring about how long it spent there, nor worrying about its connection to its body.

Freedom? Why did it need freedom when it had all this at its disposal?

Time became a blur, and it wasn't until Kyuubi could feel the boy pull on his chakra to clone himself that it felt that something was wrong. It could feel itself being molded with the boy's chakra, creating a single clone itself, though not a clone. If it had a voice, Kyuubi would have shrieked as it felt for a connection that was no longer there, to a body that was left without a mind to occupy it. Helpless, Kyuubi could do nothing except feel the body forming, flesh and blood and bones and muscle creating from nothing. Could feel nothing but the excruciating pain that came from having its nervous system build itself, sending signals of warning to the brain that was being built around a consciousness that was barely able to form coherent thought.

As Kyuubi's new, real, _human_ body collapsed, the screams of pain coming not just from him but from the boy that used to hold him, only then did he realize that he'd made a horrible mistake, and wished terribly that it was all just a dream as everything went dark.


	2. Aberration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up can be hard. Waking up human can be harder.

"-kashi-Sensei what hap-"

"-ned to Naruto? Who-"

"Get me the Ho-"

"Kakashi what-"

"-tell me what-"

"-don't know. He just appeared-"

"Naruto... Zabuza... Gato... Shadow Clone... Kyuubi..."

Kyuubi fluttered in and out of consciousness, catching snippets of conversation, though none of them made any sense.

_Who is Kakashi?_

In one of his more lucid moments, he'd called out to Mito, begging her for help. He'd felt a liquid coming from his eyes, and had entertained the notion that he was bleeding from the eyes, before dismissing it. He was Biju, and Biju don't bleed.

He'd seen the blurred outlines of many people as he swayed on the edge of consciousness and not, ranging from the mostly normal, such as a wizened old man, to the absurd, like that man with bleeding eyes and shiny horns on his head, or the odd one-eyed creature with silvery hair. But by far, the clearest faces he'd seen were of his hosts- Mito, comforting him and telling him it would all be okay, and the duo of Naruto and Kushina, cackling with glee as they yanked the chains holding him to the orb of chakra taut, making him scream in pain as it felt as though all his limbs and tails were being ripped from his body.

And then, as sudden as it had started, it stopped, and Kyuubi finally was given the dreamless dark of unconsciousness.

* * *

Waking up, Kyuubi instantly noted that he wasn't chained up the the orb of chakra, nor was he in the vast dark blank signaling his being sealed within Naruto. Feeling with his hands, he felt a soft substance that was impeccably light, crushing and bending and shifting at the lightest of touches. Splaying his fingers, he pressed down, feeling some sort of resistance the harder he pushed, before hissing in pain and stopping the motion, his arms burning from the exertion on their muscles.

_Wait..._

Opening his eyes, Kyuubi groaned in pain as the light assaulted his senses, and his squeezed them shut, feeling his nose scrunch up and pull his upper lip-

_Wait._

Hands.

Arms.

Nose.

Upper lip.

_What on earth...?_

Braving the pain, Kyuubi slowly unclenched his eyes, slowly letting them adjust to the light, before he felt safe in opening his eyes fully to gather his surroundings and solve this mystery. Looking around, his vision was blurry, making everything unintelligible blobs of color. His vision came back into focus, revealing a simple room, looking to be a simple log house, the kind that Mito had told him about. Across from him was an odd thing, a pair of long wooden planks with smaller planks set between them, holding things like human clothes and other trivial objects on them. Other than the wood thing, nothing else was in the room with him.

Looking down at the object laid over him, he idly wondered what it was when he noticed his hands.

His _human_ hands.

Idly, he noted that his breathing was getting faster and shorter, and his vision was becoming much sharper, making a sort of tunnel vision that had him extremely dizzy and his head feeling like it was flying. The last thing he remembered before falling into the darkness was the appearance of a man dressed in white with the symbol representing Konoha.

When he next woke, Kyuubi found his hands ( _human_ hands) bound in some sort of metal ring, keeping his arms from moving so he could remove the odd tube running into his arm (his _human_ arm) and filling his blood ( _human_ blood) with some sort of relaxant- as that had to be the only explanation for why he was so much calmer than before. Looking over his skin (hairless _human_ skin), he felt the urge to restrictively breathe until he passed out once more, but the relaxant the humans had him on were preventing that from happening. With the ability to pass out no longer an option, Kyuubi instead chose to view his new ( _human_ , of all things!) body. His skin ( _human_ skin) was a paler shade than his former host's was, but still quite tanned. What little he could make out through the piece of cloth he was wearing (which really made him itch something awful. _Why_ humans chose to restrain themselves was beyond him) showed that he had some form of muscle and little fat, making him quite lean and limber.

Closing his eyes, he then began to _feel_ , allowing his sense of touch to note things he usually wouldn't- another thing Mito had drilled into him. First, he could feel the irritation on his skin caused by the fabric on his skin, especially on his nipples (thank Kami Mito had seen fit to elucidate him on some aspects of human anatomy, even though he'd been quite dismissive of it at the time). Perhaps this was a result of wearing the fabrics that humans wore, and he would get used to the feeling and it would go away? Moving past the itchy fabric, he also felt the soft fabric of the pedestal-thing he was laying upon, knowing that Mito had told him the name of it yet he could not recall the exact name, only the purpose- where humans went to rest and recuperate. On his wrists he could feel the metal rings, cutting into his skin and rubbing it raw.

Within himself he felt his chakra, a small amount, yet extremely large compared to the amount he'd felt in the non-Shinobi he'd attacked and consumed. Beyond that, he felt something new to him- a heartbeat, slow and steady, like the padding of feet as they moved on the ground, or the rain as it hit the leaves in the trees. Pulling back, he felt an emptiness in his stomach, which started to cause his mouth to water.

Hunger.

He was... hungry.

Kyuubi was... hungry.

Kyuubi... was hungry.

The thought was such an odd one to consider, that he was immediately snapped out of his trance-like state when a man in white came into the room to look over him, followed by a Shinobi wearing a feline mask. From the ANBU (for it could be no other), Kyuubi could feel something he hadn't felt in decades- the chakra of the Shodai Hokage.

"What do you want?" He growled out, before gawking at the sound of his own voice. He no longer held his deep, rough baritone, instead having a higher-pitched gruff. "And what did you do to me, humans!"

"So you _are_ Kyuubi..." The ANBU spoke to himself as much as he did to Kyuubi, who became infuriated, lashing out at the man, pulling against his restraints while the man in white moved over to the plastic tube and inserted something in it that made Kyuubi feel the darkness encroach upon him once more, only this time he relished in the feeling.

* * *

Naruto bolted upright, gasping for breath, his entire body covered in a cold sweat.

_What the hell happened?_

The last thing he remembered was being on the bridge and Haku had just been killed by Kakashi-Sensei, when suddenly Gato emerged from the mist and-

_The bridge!_

Hopping off of the bed, Naruto instantly collapsed, the memories of the rest of the battle on the bridge passing by in a blur of images.

Him attempting to make an army of Shadow Clones, only to feel excruciating pain and witness a red-haired boy with amber eyes looking at him, and the both of them screaming and-

Kakashi-Sensei carrying him and the boy though the forest, talking to Sakura and Sasuke, avoiding their questions-

Being escorted by a team of ANBU, who led Kakashi-Sensei to a log cabin-

The Sandaime standing over him with a doctor, trying to ask him questions about his life-

Pain. Oh, so much pain it _hurt_ to even think about it.

Naruto was snapped out of his recollections when he felt a light tug on his chakra. Looking around, Naruto couldn't find the source of the tug, and so tried to pull it back, only to have it resist, and continue the tug, pulling on just the tiniest bit of his chakra.

Placing his hands on the bed, he hoisted himself back onto it, sitting there while he tried to figure out what what going on. What had gone wrong when he'd used the Shadow Clone jutsu? Who was that amber-eyed boy? What had happened to Gato and the bridge-builder?

Naruto was snapped out of these musings when a medic-nin and ANBU with a feline mask entered the room. With the presence of the ANBU, the tug on his chakra became much more calm, almost soothing.

"What happened?" He began with the most important question, which the medic-nin chose to answer for him.

"We aren't entirely sure." The man began. "From what we can tell, there was a second influence in your chakra when you performed the Shadow Clone, almost like a second, denser chakra." Naruto internally twitched at hearing that. His thoughts immediately leapt to the obvious conclusion: Kyuubi. "Somehow, this second chakra had a life within it, and used up all the chakra you intended for the Shadow Clone to create a body for himself."

"Oh! So _that's_ who the amber-eyed boy was!" Naruto exclaimed, before the full implications of that sunk in. "Wait. Then that boy is-"

"The Kyuubi, yes." The ANBU replied, speaking up. "I already confirmed it myself. The Hokage will be-"

"Is he the reason for that pull of my chakra?" Naruto interrupted, and both the medic-nin and ANBU looked confused (well, as confused as an ANBU _can_ look, anyway), when the medic-nin ran a glowing green hand over his torso, most likely looking for the source of the tug. The medic's hand stopped right over Naruto's navel. Over the seal holding Kyuubi- or what was left of Kyuubi- at bay. The medic stopped the green chakra and straightened up, looking Naruto in the eye.

"It's quite likely that he is the reason, however I don't think-"

"I want to see him." Naruto said, before quailing under the look both men were giving him. "I mean, if you have him in custody."

"That isn't possible." The ANBU spoke, and the gestured to the doctor for elaboration.

"The both of you are still recovering from the trauma you endured. We're still running tests, so don't expect to even leave this room for at least another week."

"I don't care." Naruto argued. "He came from me, and I want to see him. Please." Naruto's voice became small and desperate, letting both men know just how important seeing Kyuubi outside of his body was to the boy.

"I'll get a wheelchair for you. Don't expect to be on your feet for another day or so." The doctor conceded, motioning to the ANBU, who swiftly disappeared- most likely to get the wheelchair, Naruto mused.

* * *

Kyuubi moaned, forcibly brought out of his peaceful slumber by that damned man in white. Glaring at the man, he just sheepishly gestured to the end of his pedestal-thing, where Kyuubi redirected his gaze upon.

His stomach's appetite suddenly disappeared, as he found his former host staring at him. Trying to glare at the blond child seemed like a moot point, as he'd never really known the boy in person enough to actually know whether or not he was of interest or not. So, he settled for the next best thing.

"What are you doing here, mortal." The boy flinched, brought out of his musings by the sound of Kyuubi's voice, and now was looking elsewhere. "Come to mock me for being stuck in this pathetic human body?"

"No." The boy- Naruto, that was his name- answered, looking Kyuubi in the eye before grinning madly. "I just wanted to see what I had been afraid of. Turns out you're nothing stronger than a civilian. I honestly wonder what I was so scared of, seeing you like this."

"Unbind me and say it again, mortal. I am Biju, I am superior to a worthless species such as yourself." Naruto looked ready to retort, his face red with anger, when a new voice spoke up.

"I'm afraid you can no longer say that." The voice belonged to a wizened old man that Kyuubi vaguely recognized as the Sandaime Hokage. Standing next to him was the man with the bleeding eyes Kyuubi had thought he'd hallucinated. It was that man who spoke. "I'm Jiraiya, Toad Sage, Sannin and seals expert."

"You don't look like much." Naruto muttered, and Kyuubi couldn't help but agree.

"The boy is right. You don't look to be as powerful as you say you are." Cue snickering from Naruto, who looked quite smug for his statement. Kyuubi intended to quash that feeling. "Don't look so smug, boy. I was merely concurring with your statement, not praising you."

"Hey, no fighting." Jiraiya stepped between the two, keeping them apart. "Look, from what I can tell, you," He nodded towards Kyuubi. "Are now human, flesh and blood and all that. The only thing keeping the both of you alive is that connection you have with your old body. From what I can tell, the further apart you both are from each other, the weaker the connection. If that connection becomes too weak or it breaks, both of you will die." Jiraiya looked from Kyuubi to Naruto, ensuring that they fully understood what he was saying. "Now, that said, here's what's gonna happen..."

* * *

Kyuubi didn't know why he suddenly felt as though a rock had replaced his intestines.

Naruto didn't know what to expect when he was wheeled into the room, but a teenage boy around his age was not it. The teen had shaggy crimson hair, the kind that almost seemed to glow brightly, which seemed to do nicely with his angular face- with the three whisker-like birthmarks on his cheeks. Looking him over, Naruto figured that the teen was around his height before berating himself- of _course_ Kyuubi would be his height. He was made from a Shadow Clone of Naruto!

Which brought Naruto into something of a dilemma. On the one hand, he'd been unsure of what Kyuubi was like, and so had always been scared of having to meet it- him.

On the other, Naruto didn't quite know what to think of having Kyuubi outside of him. Sure, he didn't want the Fox in him, but that didn't mean that he wanted him _out_. From what he understood, when someone like him, who holds a demon, has that demon removed, they die.

Naruto didn't want to die.

So, since he was still alive, he just focused on the tug, which was more of a pull now that he was in the same room as Kyuubi, staring at the teen that had once been the strongest of the Biju.

When Kyuubi had talked to him, he hadn't been expecting the _human_ voice, despite all physical evidence to the contrary, so he'd been embarrassed when called out on it. And he'd gone and done the one thing nobody had ever done before- crack a joke at Kyuubi's expense.

A part of him was fully expecting to be removed from existence on the spot, but the continued fact of his being alive made him much more relaxed as time went on.

And then he'd been told that he and Kyuubi were tied together by that pull on his chakra, which was the only thing keeping them both alive. But then it got worse.

"Now, that said, here's what's gonna happen." Jiraiya began. "Naruto, at the Sandaime's request, has been listed as being on "indefinite leave" from his Shinobi duties. This will let us adjust to your guys' situation and figure out a way out of it. That said, the two of you will be quarantined to this cabin with Tenzo here to watch over the two of you. He'll report on your actions, and has also volunteered to teach Kyuubi here about being a human.

"Now that another thing. Kyuubi, you can't be called that anymore."

"What did you say?" Kyuubi growled out, much like Naruto does when he's angry.

"Exactly what I meant. You aren't a Biju anymore, no matter how much in denial about it you are. You'll need a name."

"Kensuke." Naruto didn't know when he's spoken up or why, all he knew was that his lips were moving of their own accord, providing the group with a name for the former Biju. "It starts with a 'K' sound like Kyuubi, and is easy to remember."

"No." Kyuubi argued from his bed. "I will _not_ be taking a human name. I take pride in my current title, and nothing will change that."

"I'm still calling you Kensuke." Naruto said, not knowing just where his mouth got off saying things his brain didn't. "You need an actual name. We can't keep calling you Kyuubi, since the whole, well..." Naruto gestured at Kyuubi's body, which made the teen growl at the blond.

"So it's settled." The Sandaime stepped in. "Naruto will be removed from the Shinobi ranks for the time being while he and Kensuke adjust to their new situation."

"What?"

" _What?_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For ease of mind, I'll next update on Monday.


	3. Reticence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyuubi and Naruto are living in a cabin in the woods. Kyuubi also discovers food.

" _What?_ "

Naruto couldn't believe what he'd just been told.

He was being _removed from the Shinobi ranks!_

Sure, it wasn't forever, but that didn't mean that he was any happier about it. Being a Shinobi was his _life_. There was nothing else he had that quite defined him like that. He had little in the way of hobbies, as he'd trained when not doing missions or working with-

Team 7.

What was going to happen to them? Kakashi-Sensei had said that there was no team with two Genin, so would the rest of the team be removed as well?

Sakura was gonna _kill_ him if she found out he was the reason she was kicked out of the program!

"What's gonna happen to team 7?" Naruto questioned the Sandaime, looking at the elderly man fearfully. "Kakashi-Sensei said there weren't any teams with two Genin, so are Sasuke and Sakura gonna be removed too?"

All eyes looked at Naruto in surprise, and he shrank into himself once more, doing his level best to seem smaller than he was. Kyuubi, however, just snorted and went back to glaring at the ANBU.

"No, Naruto." The Sandaime reassured him, and he sighed in relief, relaxing his body. "No, they'll remain in active duty, with another Genin transferring onto Kakashi's team until your return to active duty. And who said you were going to be removed from the Shinobi ranks?" Here Jiraiya was given a hard glare, flinching under the pressing gaze of the Sandaime. "You're officially on "medical leave". It happens to Shinobi who are injured or cannot perform their duties. It just means that you're not going on missions or meeting up with your team until we declare you fit for duty."

"Oh..." Naruto trailed off, relieved that he was still a ninja, yet unsettled at how easily such a thing could happen. Sure, he was happy that his team weren't pulled for what could be _years_ until this thing with Kyuubi was resolved, but... was it really so easy to replace him? Was he really so ordinary to be replaced so easily? Moving away from that depressing line of thought, Naruto sought more answers. "Will I see them before then?"

"That's quite doubtful." The ANBU supplied, drawing Naruto's attention. "At present, they believe you to be under quarantine due to the results of Kensuke's arrival and the unknown foreign presence in your chakra." The ANBU was quick to change the referral of Kyuubi to Kensuke, something that Naruto silently vowed to do himself.

"That so?" He distractedly replied, caught up in his depressing thoughts before snapping back to reality. Looking at Kyuu-Kensuke, Naruto noticed the glare he was giving the man, and so decided to change the subject by finding out the reason for it. "Why are you glaring at the ANBU? What, do you not like-" He glanced at the mask, ascertaining its feline inclination. "-cats or something?"

* * *

 

"What?"

Kyuubi could feel his anger make his chakra spike ever-so-slightly, before it was quashed under the calming force of the Wood User's own chakra. Feeling disgusted that he was once again at the mercy of that damned Shodai, Kyuubi ignored the comment about having to remain with his former container for the time being- and the entire part about his connection to the boy, in favor of glaring at the Wood User. How _dare_ he repress Kyuubi, strongest of the Biju, just like his ancestor did all those years ago, treating the Biju as his- what was that word? Kyuubi wracked his brain, searching for the correct term to explain how that man had used the Biju, like-

_Pets._

As if the Biju were such menial beasts to be used and toyed with as anyone's whim!

Kyuubi's glare intensified, and he became too entrenched in his actions that Naruto's question to him nearly went unheard. Snapping his head towards the boy, Kyuubi fixed his gaze upon the blond, who almost seemed to shrink in on himself for a second before matching the Biju with a glare of his own.

"What I do or do not like is of my own personal nature." He told the blond, intensifying his glare- only to have the blond increase his own in response. "Which, of course, is not subject to you or anyone else knowing. My life is my own, and it shall be treated as such."

"That may have been true in the past, but it's not gonna work now." Naruto retorted, staring Kyuubi in the eye. "Your life is just as much mine now, what with that chakra leeching you're doing to me."

Kyuubi's glare let up, his eyes widening in confusion and shock.

"What chakra leeching are you talking about, boy?" Kyuubi demanded, pushing against his shackles as he leaned towards the blond. "Tell me!"

"Now, now." The ANBU spoke up, stepping in before it threatened to become physical. "The Sandaime and Lord Jiraiya have left me in charge of the two of you, and I'll have you know that I'm not afraid to use more... _draconian_ methods." As he said this, the ANBU removed his mask to reveal wide, unblinking eyes surrounded in shadow, which spread over his face, highlighting his cheekbones. Internally, both Naruto and Kyuubi felt as though ice had run the length of their spine, but were too prideful to ever admit to being scared. Instead, the both glared at each other once more before looking away- Kyuubi to the wall opposite the ANBU, while Naruto was staring interestedly at the floor around the ANBU's feet.

"Good." The man nodded, and both had their own methods of showing their relief- Kyuubi merely let out a huff, but was no longer staring at the wall, instead viewing his restraints. Naruto, on the other hand, chose to get a better look at the ANBU. "My name is Tenzo, and as I just said, I'll be watching over the two of you until this matter is resolved. Anything either of you need, just call for me and I'll be there."

"Like I'd ever resort to seeking your aid, Wood User." Kyuubi contemptuously muttered, though not quietly enough that none of the other occupants of the room didn't hear him.

"So!" Jiraiya clapped his hands together, a toothy grin on his face. "Now that you're all acquainted with each other, me and Sensei will be going. If you require either of us, Tenzo knows how to contact us." With that said, he clapped his hand onto the Sandaime's shoulder, and the both of them disappeared in a burst of smoke. Kyuubi merely raised an eyebrow at the flashy way they left, but was back to studying his shackles while Naruto tried to turn his wheelchair toward the door. Chuckling, Tenzo gripped the handles of Naruto's wheelchair and barely exerted any force in turning it and guiding him out the door, shutting it on his way out, leaving Kyuubi to his own thoughts.

Clenching and unclenching his his hand, Kyuubi watched and felt his human appendage move at his command. Under the skin, Kyuubi could see the faint outlines of the different muscles and veins tense and relax with his hand.

 _Is this... what I've been reduced to? A mere human?_ Kyuubi thought, watching his hand as it continued opening and closing. _No. This is but a setback. I am Biju, and I shall regain my power and form, somehow._

Shifting, Kyuubi could see that there was a wheelchair in the corner, empty and unused. _Most likely for me._ He thought, before laying back on the comfy pedestal-thing- which made the itchy fabric press against his spine. Shuffling, Kyuubi rubbed his back into the fabric to scratch the itch, only to find that it worsened when he did so. Laying there, his back faintly throbbing in time with his heartbeat (and the itch becoming more prominent with each consecutive throb), Kyuubi thought back to the conversation, and one thing stuck out the most.

They'd given him a _name_.

A name!

He was Kyuubi! He was Biju! Biju had no want nor need of any human-given names! To accept anything less than their title was both demeaning and an insult, both to the named Biju and its' brethren.

While the name wasn't quite as bad as it could be- Kensuke meaning 'masculine'- the name itself wasn't the issue so much as it was the fact that they chose to affix him ( _Him!_ The lord of the Biju!) with a name that was the problem.

Taking a deep breath, he held it in for a second before letting it out, feeling his heartbeat speed up slightly before slowing to it's calming, rhythmic pace.

_The name is unimportant. Focus on what really matters._

Until he figured out a way to regain both his power and form, he was trapped in this human body. Briefly, the thought of making the most of it before dismissing the entire line of thought. He was Biju, not human, and Biju had no need to know about or act like humans.

" _Perhaps I shall teach you some manners."_

For a split second, Kyuubi could have sworn that he saw Uzumaki Mito standing at the far end of the pedestal-thing, looking down at him disapprovingly. Flinching, Kyuubi rescinded that last thought, sending out a quiet apology to the only human he'd ever really known, the only human who'd taken the time to make him the being he was today, make him... _more_ than he'd been before- and, quite possibly, the only human he'd loved.

Heaving another sigh, Kyuubi attempted to bring his hands up against his body to stave off the sudden cold he was feeling, before dropping them after the shackles pressed into his hands once more.

_For Mito. I shall do it... for Mito._

* * *

 

Naruto dropped down on his bed, his legs, which felt like they were on fire, seemed immensely grateful that he hadn't chosen to walk around the room- he'd barely been able to make it to the bed, after all. Glancing back at Tenzo, the man seemed to know what Naruto was about to ask.

"Your clothes have been moved here, along with anything else deemed important to you." He spoke to the blond. "The rest of your possessions remain in your apartment, and I can easily send someone to retrieve anything that was overlooked."

"Right." Naruto nodded to the man, who left, saying that dinner was going to be in an hour. Giving the man confirmation that he'd heard, Naruto was left to sit at the edge of his bed in silence, thinking back on what he'd been told.

He was still a ninja! One listed as being on medical leave, but that didn't matter to him. He was still a ninja! He was still gonna be-

_Kyuu-Kensuke._

Naruto's joyous thoughts froze as he remembered the reason for his worry. Kyuubi, while in a human body, still seemed like the Biju he'd always been. Granted, he didn't have anything to show that Kyuubi was different, but he certainly was a lot more... human. When he'd first heard of the Biju, he'd imagined a mindless beast, unable to even understand humans- not the composed, all-to- _human_ personality he'd seen. Which had Naruto thinking- was Kyuubi always like this, or had he learned how to act and think like a person?

The answer probably wasn't one he'd like, but it was one he needed- if only to reassure himself of this strange fear he had concerning Kyuubi, though he couldn't quite place his finger on just _what_ he was so afraid of.

Laying back on the bed, Naruto gazed up at the ceiling in thought, trying to discern all that he could about the Biju-turned-human he'd just met. Things he'd never even thought he'd be thinking about were suddenly at the forefront of his mind- how'd he learn to talk? What did Kyuu-Kensuke mean when he called Tenzo "Wood User", and was that why he hated the man so much?

These questions and dozens more flitted through his head, and before long he had a headache, curling up in a ball to clutch his head close to his body in the vain hope that it would keep any more stray thoughts from entering his head- but only served to remind him of the burning pain in his legs, courtesy of the botched Shadow Clone army he'd tried to make that had resulted in Kyuu-Kensuke. Stretching out, Naruto sat back up, looking at his legs and feeling the faint tingle of the pain his chakra coils had taken in creating an entire person.

_Wait. Usually something like this would be gone by now._

Flexing his legs a little, he was more than a little confused when the tingling started up again. Turning his head to the side, Naruto watched his legs interestedly, wondering what had cause him to-

 _Oh. Kyuubi_.

Apparently the only reason he'd healed so fast was because of Kyuubi's intervention, though why he'd always healed the blond when he seemed to hate Naruto's entire existence was certainly a mystery.

Closing his eyes, Naruto felt the tug on his chakra, and just sat there, feeling his chakra get pulled into this sort of funnel before he lost track of it- most likely when it entered Kyuu-Kensuke's body and became his chakra instead. Frowning, Naruto tried to feel for his chakra again, only to lose it when it went into the funnel.

_That's strange..._

Naruto wondered why the connection was leeching off of _his_ chakra until he remembered that Kyuu-Kensuke had originally meant to be an army of Shadow Clones- exact copies of _him_ made out of _his chakra_. Shrugging, Naruto went back to staring at the ceiling of his room and wait out the time until dinner was ready. 

* * *

 

Kyuubi sat up, rubbing his wrists, working the dampen the effects of having rubbed them raw against his shackles. Looking up at the Wood User, Kyuubi said nothing- the blow to his pride at having to rely on a descendant of that damned Shodai too much for him to speak. Standing, Kyuubi simply gave the man a nod as he stood- on two legs, strangely. Feeling the hard wood beneath his feet was a new experience, since the only times he'd ever been in contact with wood was when he was crushing trees underfoot while searching for new opponents or when he'd been fighting the Shodai.

Being bipedal was something new to him, having spent almost all of his existence (before being sealed) moving on four legs, but somehow he acted like it was just as natural for him as being quadrupedal had been. Idly, he chalked it up to one of those instinctive human things, and dismissed it out of hand.

Moving towards the 'restroom', as he'd learned was the name, Kyuubi fingered the edges of the fabric all over his body and, once he'd ascertained how to remove them, tossed the one piece of fabric that had covered his upper body back towards the Wood User. He had no want nor need of such human trivialities and wasn't going to be relying on them anytime soon. Closing the door behind him, he then removed the fabric covering his lower body, the edges sliding down his legs, revealing-

Oh.

Oh, _hell_ , no.

Stepping out of the fabric- where it had piled down at his feet- Kyuubi almost kicked the door down, glaring daggers at the Wood User, who turned his head towards Kyuubi before snapping his head to view the rest of the hallway away from the red-head.

"What the _hell_ did you do to me!" He shouted, standing there, his entire body seething with anger. Seconds later, Naruto appeared at one of the doors, using crutches instead of the wheelchair.

"Kyuubi, what's-" Naruto began, before seeing a little too much of Kyuubi's body than he'd _ever_ wanted to. "I think I'll just, um..." He trailed off, his entire body a deep red as he maneuvered back into the room he came from.

"You will not run away, boy!" Kyuubi directed his anger at the blond in front of him, who froze and seemed quite reluctant to face the Biju-turned-human. "You surely must know what's been done to me."

"Well, I, uh..." Naruto stuttered, facing the Wood User and refusing to look at Kyuubi, which served only to incense him more.

"Look at me!" He snarled, stomping over and jerking Naruto's head in his hands to face the Biju-turned-human. "This is clearly something only _you_ or that Wood User did. However, since I highly doubt he's as skilled as his ancestor, that leaves you. So... What. Did. You. Do?"

"I didn't do anything!" Naruto squirmed, trying to free Kyuubi's hold on his head while maintaining the balance he had on the crutches. "Besides, what's wrong?"

"This!" Kyuubi directed Naruto's gaze down to the source of the problem. " _This_ is the problem!"

"So?" Naruto countered, closing his eyes in defeat. "I still don't understand what's got you so worked up."

"I am a Biju." Kyuubi spoke, his voice quiet, yet hinting at the barely restrained anger underneath the surface. "Biju are defined as being neither men nor women." Naruto nodded as best he could while in the grip of Kyuubi. "This means that, should I have ever figured out how to create and maintain a human form, it would be neither male nor female."

"I don't think he, and myself for that matter, quite understand the point of this." The Wood User had turned around, though his gaze was more to the ceiling than towards Kyuubi.

"The point is this." Kyuubi's voice slowly raised in volume until he was nearly screaming. "How can a being with no gender be male!"

"Well, when a man and a woman love each other..." The Wood User began, his tone carrying more than enough amusement for the situation to have.

"I know of that!" Kyuubi snapped, releasing his hold on Naruto to face the Wood User much more easily. "Though _how_ you think it pertains to _this_ is beyond me."

"You're human." Naruto bluntly stated, leaning against the wall, one of his crutches having falling to the ground in his attempt to regain his balance. "That means you're either a guy or girl. What I don't get is why you're getting all bent out of shape about having..." Naruto trailed off, looking down the hall with a reddening face.

"Because I'm _not_ human. Therefore I am neither male nor female, and I _should not have_..." Kyuubi looked down in disgust. " _These_."

"You _are_ human, Kensuke." The Wood User said, heading over and picking up the fallen crutch to return to Naruto. Looking Kyuubi directly in the face, he continued. "That means that you _do_ have them, you _are_ male, and you will _always_ be male."

Kyuubi didn't meet the man's gaze, and simply crossed his arms over his chest before turning away and returning to the restroom.

"For now." He suddenly spoke to them as he reached the doorway. "I am human _for now_. I _will_ return to my former glory, and when I do, I shall ensure that I am _never_ sealed again." Stepping into the room, he looked back at the two people still standing in the hallway. "Don't expect me to wear those fabrics of yours. They irritate my _skin_." He spoke that last word with such utter revulsion it was as though he'd puked something nasty, and entered the restroom to finish the business he'd nearly forgotten about in all the fuss.

* * *

Kyuubi could feel every muscle in his neck tense up as he ground out his thanks to the Wood User for having unshackled him. Sitting in the 'chair', Kyuubi tugged at the fabric he'd been forced to wear around his lower body (not that he minded, just that he was unused to such a thing) and looked towards the pile of cooked meat in front of him, and sent a hand out to pick a piece up and study it, only to have it get slapped back by a pair of 'chopsticks'. Glaring at the offender, Naruto just shrugged.

"It's bad manners." He replied, and Kyuubi flinched at the blond's unintentionally mirroring of Mito's oft-used phrase when talking to him. Noticing the flinch, Naruto's jaw dropped as he just looked at Kyuubi disbelievingly. Kyuubi's eyes narrowed, glaring at the boy.

"What?"

"You've been acting like a pompous ass all this time, and the one thing you care about is _manners_?" Naruto shook his head, glancing at Tenzo- who subtly nodded in approval- before using his chopsticks to ascertain several pieces of the cooked meat for the 'plate' in front of him. "That's so, so..."

"I'll have you know that not _all_ of my containers were like you." Kyuubi retorted. "In fact, I hold my first one in high regard. If not for her, I would still be a mindless beast."

"Other containers?" Naruto put a piece of meat in his mouth, and Kyuubi took it as his cue to fetch his own cooked meat- only to find several pieces already on his plate, along with one of those 'rice balls'. Glaring at the Wood User, who was nonchalantly eating his own plate of cooked meat, Kyuubi ignored Naruto's attempts to ask about Mito and the boy's mother, instead focusing on his plate of food. Poking a piece with one of his own chopsticks, Kyuubi clumsily picked up a piece, inspecting it closely.

"Kyuu-Kensuke?"

Sniffing the piece, he nearly recoiled at the sharp tangy smell emanating from the meat. Looking at it in awe, Kyuubi then took a more cautionary sniff, once more smelling the sharp tang, but this time noticing that there were other smells with it, making a sultry aroma that made Kyuubi's mouth water.

"Kensuke..."

Opening his mouth, he stuck the piece in his mouth, and closed his eyes at the taste. It tasted just like it smelled, though that same tanginess made his tongue burn in ways that had him yearning for more. Rolling it over his tongue, he shifted it between his teeth, biting down, and his eyes felt like they were about to bleed again.

"Kensuke?"

 _How_ he'd spent his life without this food was astonishing! It was so, so... 'delicious', he believed, was the correct term. When he'd bitten down, it seemed to have released even _more_ of that tanginess, and he rolled his head back, using gravity to move the half-chewed piece in his mouth, slowly chewing it more, which spread the tangy burn throughout his entire mouth. When he felt like the piece could give him no more of that tangy burn, Kyuubi swallowed, turning his head down to the plate of meat before him. Reaching out with his chopsticks, Kyuubi held the pieces more steadily as he guided them into the still-burning cavern that was his mouth.

"Kensuke!"

The resulting taste was even better, if he could believe, and his breathing became shorter as he tilted his head back and let the pieces shift around, setting his entire mouth ablaze in a glory of fire that had him wanting _more!_

"KENSUKE!"

Chewing slowly, Kyuubi was too engrossed in the tangy burning the meat was slathering in his mouth to hear the others.

"KYUUBI!"

Snapping his head out of his daze, Kyuubi instinctively swallowed, and the delicious meat was soon making it's burning known from his stomach. Glaring at the Wood User and Naruto, the vicious look was soon replaced with one of intense curiosity as both humans were quite pale, and staring at him in shock and... fear?

"What?"

Setting his chopsticks down, Naruto pushed his plate away from him.

"I don't think I have much of an appetite anymore." The Wood User seemed to agree, though Kyuubi didn't care, as he'd soon snatched the cooked meat off of their plates to add to his own.

"I don't believe I'll make barbecue anytime soon." The Wood User added, staring at the plate before looking at Kyuubi warily.

"What is it?" Kyuubi asked, the glare returning. "Have I done something wrong according to your standards?"

"NO!" Naruto answered, shaking his head and waving his hands in front of him. "No. You didn't- I mean, you-" He gave in and looked to the Wood User with a pleading face, which greatly amused Kyuubi. Anything that had the blond flustered was bound to be useful.

"You were moaning." The Wood User said, looking away from the red-head. Kyuubi watched as his face went from deathly pale to a deep red. "Loudly, and quite passionately."

"Don't think I'll ever look at barbecue the same way again." Naruto added, his face almost _green_ as he glanced at the plate of 'barbecue' in front of Kyuubi.

"I don't understand." Kyuubi said, looking from one to the other. "Is there something wrong with expressing a liking for food?"

"No." The Wood User answered, glancing at the red-head before looking away again. "That's perfectly fine. It's just the _way_ you did it that's wrong."

Kyuubi frowned.

"But all of my previous hosts expressed themselves in such a way, though I was unable to figure out the reasoning for it." Here both Naruto and the Wood User's faces were deeply red, and Kyuubi wondered if there was something wrong. "Given your reactions, it is not used in expressing a liking for food?"

"That's right." The Wood User nodded.

"Then what _is_ the correct situation to express oneself like that."

"I don't think now is the best time to answer that question." Somehow, Kyuubi could see that the man's face was getting even _redder_ , if that was possible. Shrugging, he went back to the experience of consuming his food.


	4. Evaluation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nightmares and evaluations as Kyuubi continues to adjust to humanity.

Kyuubi felt a world of pain, the spikes speared through his hands and feet, the orange-yellow chains seamlessly continuing where the spikes ended. He was pressed up naked against an orb of chakra that burned him, turning the skin black and making it slough off of his body in waves, piling up at his feet and the base of his spine before being consumed by the burning orb. Writhing futilely, Kyuubi screamed as the orb shifted, the surface undulating against his muscles, slowly burning them away with each wave of chakra that came into contact with him. In his hands and feet, the spikes burned as well, making the skin of his palms and soles turn white before graying into a black that curled away and broke apart like the shed skin of a snake. Through his tear-filled eyes, Kyuubi spied a figure watching him far below the orb, enshrouded in shadow.

"Please." He begged, his voice jarring with his sobs. "Help."

"No." The figure stepped out of the darkness, Revealing a venomous-looking Uzumaki Kushina, her hair twisting and curling into nine segments as she watched on.

"Mercy." Kyuubi pleaded, before opening his mouth in a silent scream as the chains pulled taut, threatening to tear his limbs from his body.

"Mercy?" Kushina seemed to laugh at him, and her grin widened in time with the chains machinations. "Why would a mindless beast like you deserve mercy?"

Th-that's not true!" He gasped out, and the chains loosened slightly, the pain decreasing to a less agonizing level, before the chains yanked taut once more, making his scream as he felt several joints make a sickening ' _pop_ ' as they were dislocated. The chains let up once more, before yanking taut again.

"Not true?" The voice changed, and Kushina fell apart to reveal Mito, her braided hair trailing past her, also segmented into nine writing 'tails'. She looked at him disapprovingly, like the dirt she was standing held more of her respect than he did. "What have you done in your worthless existence to garner anyone's mercy?"

"I didn't know. I'm sorry." He sobbed, repeating the phrases like a mantra, though they became increasingly indecipherable as the chains continued their cycle of yanking taut, letting up, and then yanking taut once more.

"Sorry?" Mito's voice became deeper, gruffer, and she erupted into a sea of flames, which obscured his view of her and nearly seared his retinas at the sudden intrusion of light. As the flames died down, Kyuubi gazed on in horror as he saw _himself_ , as he had originally been and was naturally intended to be.

Standing before him was Kyuubi no Kitsune, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, in all it's terrible glory as a Biju.

The Biju looked down at him in contempt, it's claws clacking as it bent down to look at him with a single eye, taking in everything about him- the blackened skin, the blood running down him from his back, the pieces of skin and muscle that weren't sucked into the chakra orb falling down onto the ground below him, marring the ground with sickening splats that sent the blood and liquefied skin flying out and oozing into the stone floor. The Biju pulled it's head back, bringing it's nose up to him, where it inhaled, pulling him towards it in the vacuum, and his bit back a scream that threatened to make itself known as he was dragged through the spikes. Blood dripped down from his lip where he'd bit both it and his cheek, and he tasted the copper, gagging as it tried to go down his throat and spitting it out- right into the Biju's nose. The Biju reared back, snorting with such force that it sent Kyuubi flying back against the chakra orb, seeping into and between his muscles and organs.

He screamed, long and hard.

"Hehehe." The Biju chucked, it's fur rippling as it shuddered in laughter at his pain. "There's nothing for you to be sorry about." It said, baring it's teeth in a snarl. "You're getting _exactly_ what you deserve."

The Biju exhaled long and hard, sending him out past the tips of the spikes, where he just laid there, hovering in the middle of the chakra orb, looking at the Biju pleadingly as his entire body was burned away, letting the black abyss envelop him.

* * *

 

Kyuubi woke with a start, sitting up in his 'bed' (as he'd been informed by the Wood User some time after he'd eaten and was tired) and looking everywhere, his breathing sharp and short, matching his pounding heartbeat. When he realized that the Biju-him wasn't there, Kyuubi looked down at his 'bedding', kicking it off of his uncomfortably warm body. Stepping out of his bed, he nearly fell to the ground as his legs were too unstable for him to stand properly. Reaching up with shaky arms, Kyuubi pulled himself back up onto his bed and sat there, his breath coming out in shudders, and his hands shook uncontrollably, forcing him to clench them together in an effort to get it under control.

"What," He said, once his breathing and the shakiness was much less noticeable. "Was _that_?"

He knew what he'd seen, heard and felt (and still felt, almost like a phantom feeling teasing him of what might have been), and all of it felt as real as he did at that moment, and yet here he was, alive and unharmed.

Standing once more, Kyuubi took off his 'pants', as the fabric covering his lower torso was called, and inspected himself for a reason as to why he was soaked. Finding no discernible cause, he left the equally soaked 'pants' where they were, Kyuubi walked into the restroom, and stood over the sink, turning the faucet and letting the cooling water run down it while he looked at his reflection in the 'mirror'. Looking back at him was a rather simple human boy, amber eyes piercing through an unruly mane of bright red hair, nearly hiding the three dark marks on his cheeks, running like lines away from his nose and towards his jawline, which was rather pointed much like-

 _Oh, this just_ sucks!

Kyuubi's eye twitched as he noticed his resemblance to a certain Yondaime Hokage, his eyes, hair and whisker-marks the only differences that kept him from looking like a clone of that- that-

"Fucking shit." Kyuubi swore, showing just how angry he was. In all the years the he existed, he'd never once said or thought any uncouth words, even after he'd been able to talk, unless he was downright _pissed_. Letting out another shaky breath, Kyuubi gripped the edges of the sink in his hands, looking at the small pool of water forming in the sink.

He dunked his head down into it, feeling the icy sting dig into him as his warm skin submerged into it. Kyuubi opened his mouth, screaming, large bubbles emerging from his mouth and making the water froth and churn around him. Screaming at the injustice of it all, all because of his lack of focus. He thought he'd been prepared for anything, only to be blindsided by the feeling of... _being_. When he was in Naruto's chakra system, he wasn't Kyuubi, yet he was. He wasn't alive, or dead, or joyous, or angry, or anything- he just _was_.

And that had been his folly, his downfall.

Kyuubi continued screaming until he felt light-headed, at which point he'd pulled his head out and staggered back, slipping on the water that cascaded down onto the floor from the now-overflowing sink and fell against the toilet, where he curled up next to it, where he watched black spots dance across his vision, hearing the rushing sound of water as it continued flowing out of the faucet and into the overflowing sink, feeling the cold water as it spread across the floor and encircled him.

Breathing slowly, he watched as the black spots decreased into nothingness, and he stood up, no longer dizzy. Walking over to the sink, he turned off the water and unplugged the drain, watching with fascination as the water turned into a tiny whirlpool as it went down the drain, emptying the sink and leaving him standing on the wet floor.

Stepping away from the sink, Kyuubi reached for the stack of fluffy fabrics, bunching them in his hands before unceremoniously dropping them onto the wet floor. Using his feet, he shuffled the strangely absorbent fabrics all over the floor, letting them soak up the water. When Kyuubi was done, he looked around for somewhere to put them- as what had happened would surely incite the ire of the Wood User, which he didn't want, if the man was capable of the same things as his ancestor. Spotting a bin in the corner, Kyuubi picked up the soaked absorbent fabrics and dumped them in it. Satisfied, Kyuubi nodded to himself before returning to his room, which nearly gave him pause at the thought of the room being 'his' until he remembered that he was to bear it until he was able to return to his former glory.

_Until I am Biju once more..._

The thought brought about the flashes of the sleep-memory, of watching as the Biju-him torture Kyuubi. Shuddering, Kyuubi almost thought about going to either Naruto or the Wood User, but dismissed the thought as soon as he had it- he was Biju, and Biju didn't rely on anyone except themselves.

 _But is that true?_ He thought, recalling the many conversations he'd had with Mito, and how she'd helped him to the point where he almost began to rely on her company. _Does being Biju really mean being a self-reliant, potentially mindless beast?_

Once upon a time he would have scoffed at the notion of being 'mindless', arguing that his sense of self was enough of a mind to not be considered mindless. However, now Kyuubi wasn't sure he could say such a thing. Not after Mito, who had a hand in creating him psychologically. Not after Kushina, who had taught him that there were some humans who were just as idiotic, if not more-so, than the Biju.

The line of thought had Kyuubi so preoccupied that he was startled when a hand touched his shoulder.

"Kyuu-Kensuke?" Kyuubi whipped around, his mind running a mile a minute, to come face-to-face with Naruto. "Are you okay?"

Kyuubi stared, appalled at the boy's demeanor, before shrugging off the hand and heading into his room.

"Whether or not I am 'okay' is not for you to judge." Kyuubi answered. "Nor is it your place to know such a trivial thing."

"If you say so." Naruto deadpanned, before warming up to Kyuubi. "Just know that me and Tenzo are here if you got anything to say."

"I have nothing to say to you." Kyuubi sneered, stepping into his room and moving to shut the door, only for it to be blocked by one of Naruto's crutches.

"Something's bothering you." It wasn't a question, and Kyuubi reluctantly opened the door to the blond. "Is there a reason you're naked? Again? Thought you at least agreed to wear pants..." Naruto muttered that last part to himself, despite it being no quieter than the questions preceding it.

"I did agree to wear 'pants', though the circumstances were not specified." Kyuubi explained, not moving from the doorway. Inwardly, he hoped the blond would leave him alone. "Now, I've already explained myself to you sufficiently, so be gone."

"And I already told you that you can talk to either of us." Naruto answered, hobbling into Kyuubi's room, only using a single crutch this time. "Besides, we've got that chakra connection. That kinda makes it my business."

"Something I'm not going to do." Kyuubi retorted. "I depend on none but myself, and however egregious my connection to you may be, you are not me, therefore you are not subject to concerning yourself about me."

"Huh?" Naruto sounded clueless to Kyuubi's rant.

"I have nothing to say to you." Kyuubi slowly enunciated, speaking in simple tones to ensure that the blond understood his point. "Nor will I ever have anything to say to you."

"If you say so." Naruto's grin was positively predatory, and Kyuubi finally snapped.

"Do not take what I say out of context." He snarled, trying to push Naruto out of his room. "Now _go_!"

"Fine. I'm going." The clipped tones of annoyance had Kyuubi smirking in victory. "But don't think this means you're off the hook. I _will_ find out what's up with you. Believe it!"

"I don't." Kyuubi ground out, slamming his door shut. Standing there, he fumed for several seconds before taking a deep breath, his entire body reacting to it, before slumping down when he exhaled, all tension in his body gone. Shuffling over to his bed, Kyuubi crawled into it, laying atop his bedding and staring at the ceiling in silence, eventually falling back asleep.

* * *

Breakfast was anything but a silent affair.

"Just tell me!" Naruto pleaded in-between bites of toast.

"No." Kyuubi sighed, slowly chewing his own toast (which was just twice-baked bread, and was neither good nor bad), savoring the crunchiness of it.

"Tell me!"

"No." Another bite, more chewy this time.

"Yes!"

"Fine." An edge bite this time, much more crunchy.

"Really?"

"No." Kyuubi answered, finishing his toast and turning towards Naruto. "If I was going to tell you, I obviously would have by now."

"What are you going to tell Naruto?" The Wood User asked, setting himself down at the table with them as well, his own plate full up with eggs, bacon and his own toast. Kyuubi took a sip of his 'juice'- made of oranges and quite... tangy, as Kyuubi found out, and something he quite enjoyed, as it effectively worked to refresh and affect all of his taste receptors.

"Why he was up late last night!" Naruto told the Wood User, who arched an eyebrow at Kyuubi.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the bundle of wet towels stuffed in the laundry basket, now would it?"

"Is that what you call those absorbent fabrics?" Kyuubi asked, looking slightly impressed with the new knowledge with an underlying hint of fear. However, that faint hint was enough to confirm the Wood User's suspicions.

_Damn..._

Idly, Kyuubi realized that he didn't swear quite as much as he did now anytime before this... incident.

" _Fine._ " Kyuubi spat out, disgusted with himself, both for getting caught and for having to resort to this, this... indignity. "If you _must_ know I had a sleep-memory."

"A dream?" Naruto queried, surprised.

"Is that the word for such a thing? Interesting..." Kyuubi looked thoughtful for a moment before getting back on topic. "I did not like what happened, and I do not wish to talk of it."

"A nightmare then." The Wood User muttered, though he did not go unheard by either boy.

"Nightmare?" Kyuubi asked, quirking an eyebrow at Naruto to explain- he might have to go to the indignity of asking _humans_ for aid, but he'd rather be in Hell than accept the aid of the Wood User.

"A bad dream." Naruto explained, and Kyuubi nodded to himself in understanding. If a dream was of good things, that a nightmare was memories of bad things. However...

"That still does not explain how I have memory of something that has never happened to me before."

"Well, I don't really know enough to tell you. All I know is that dreams aren't real memories, they're just stuff your mind puts together." Naruto elaborated, gesturing with his arms. "Fake memories, you know. That kinda stuff."

Kyuubi 'hmm'd' in thought. "fake memories" sounded like an apt description of 'dreams', though he wished that the blond was more knowledgeable.

"Speaking of the mind," The Wood User interjected. "Today the both of you are getting mental evaluations, courtesy of Lord Hokage."

"Mental evaluations?" Kyuubi repeated, and Naruto looked to the Wood User for help.

"Basically, two Shinobi are coming here to talk to the both of you individually. Kensuke to ensure that he's sane and Naruto to..." He trailed off, gazing at Naruto's navel, and Kyuubi understood immediately.

"To what?" Naruto cluelessly, and Kyuubi began to wonder if he would have been better off staying trapped behind the seal.

"I am not behind the seal anymore." Kyuubi explained, using the tone of voice he began to suspect would be used often when conversing with the blond. "Therefore you should be dead. Since you are not, someone is being brought in to go into your mind to see what's keeping you alive."

"Oh." Naruto nodded. "Why would I be dead without you stuck in me?"

"Because," Kyuubi drew out the word. "You were my container, and without me there, you should be dead."

"But you're human, not a Biju, so that might be a factor in it, as well as your chakra connection." The Wood User chimed in, and Kyuubi sent him an evil glare.

"Oh~!" Naruto exclaimed, and Kyuubi felt the urge to slam his head into the table. Repeatedly, and very hard.

* * *

"Hello Naruto. My name's Yamanaka Inoichi." The man pleasantly introduced himself, holding out a hand towards the blond. Naruto crossed his arms and looked towards the door.

"Yeah, yeah." He replied. "You already know my name. Can we get on with checking the seal already?"

"Worried about it?" Inoichi asked, though he suspected that wasn't the case, if the boy was staring so intently at the door.

"Huh?" Naruto turned towards him inquisitively, until the words sank in. "Oh. Nah. I'm just curious what's going on with Kyuu-Kensuke."

"Is that so?" Inoichi silently took note of the boy's body language. "You care about him?"

"Not really." The blond shrugged dismissively, but Inoichi could see the tension behind it, indicating a half-lie.

"If you don't care about him, then why do you keep looking at the door?" Inoichi pressed.

"I'm not worried about him!" Naruto retorted, and Inoichi internally cheered at the boy's slip of the tongue.

"I never said you were worried about him, just that you keep glancing at the door." Inoichi bemusedly replied, watching the younger blond sputter indignantly and continue his denials of not caring about someone he obviously cared about. He held up his hand, garnering the attention of the pre-teen. "Now, how's about we get to checking your seal, and we'll talk about your concern for your friend later."

"Uh, right." Naruto nodded, and Inoichi put his hand onto the blond's forehead. "How's this gonna-"

Inoichi activated the jutsu, and both were pulled into the younger blond's mind.

* * *

 

"The name's Morino Ibiki." The scarred man said to Kyuubi. "Why don't you tell me about yourself."

"I don't think I shall, Morino Ibiki." Kyuubi retorted, leaning against the wall of his room. "My life is my own, not to be discussed about to others except myself."

"How... philosophical." Ibiki responded. "Who taught you."

"I'll have you know I am not the mindless beast you think of me as, human." Kyuubi replied. "However, since we both know you are to report everything I say to your Hokage, I might as well be cooperative."

"So who taught you?"

"Uzumaki Mito. Thought most of Konoha would know of her as Senju Mito, the wife of that damnable Wood User, the Shodai Hokage." Kyuubi answered.

"How did you know her?" Ibiki asked, and Kyuubi could see the need in his eyes. The irrepressible need to know anything and everything.

"Simple." Kyuubi replied. "She was the first to contain me."

"The wife of the Shodai was your first container?" Ibiki skeptically repeated.

"Yes. She spent most of her life teaching me about manners and society. She even helped me learn to talk." Kyuubi smiled fondly despite himself.

"Is that so?" Ibiki raised an eyebrow.

"I just said so." Kyuubi retorted, not wanted to repeat himself.

"Anything else about her you care to admit?"

Kyuubi had flashes of their conversations, her explanation of emotions, of love and hate and apathy, of their last talk, and of the fight that followed it.

Of the guilt he felt for years afterward, and still sometimes felt.

"No."

* * *

 

The first thing Inoichi noticed was that they were standing in an elevator, watching the floors go by- or rather, what looked to be different memories from different times in the boy's life. Down it went, the memories getting worse and worse with each floor he passed, until he reached the one of that fateful night, when Naruto had stolen the Forbidden Scroll and was revealed as the Kyuubi's container.

" _YOU_ ARE THE KYUUBI NO KITSUNE!" The scream still echoed as he reached the bottom floor, which flooded the elevator with water, though it was only enough to cover the soles of his sandals.

"What took you so long?" Glancing ahead, he saw Naruto standing there, annoyed at having to wait for Inoichi, who sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry. It was a bit of a trip to get here." Naruto just sighed and turned around, walking into the darkness. Inoichi stumbled forward, catching up to the blond in a matter of seconds. "So, do you know where we're headed?"

"Nope." The younger blond resolutely answered, looking at Inoichi with a grin. "But I figure that the seal's here, since I was dragged here when you interrupted me." Cue evil glare.

"In my defense, there is a bit of a time constraint." Inoichi never thought he'd have to argue with another blond outside of his daughter.

"Still could have warned me." Naruto grumbled, and the two continued on in silence, the only sound being the slow drip of the water from the mess of pipes running overhead. Eventually they came across a doorway, leading into a giant room, filled with light. Squinting against the light, Inoichi could make out a gate across from them, with something written in the middle of it.

"I think we've reached the seal." Inoichi said, both to himself and to Naruto, though before he could continue, a booming voice rang out from behind the gate.

" **Who dares to seek conference with me, the Kyuubi no Kitsune?** "


	5. Digression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The evaluations conclude, and both Naruto and Kensuke are left with questions to mull over.

Inoichi wasn't one to easily spook. He'd lived through the Third Great Shinobi World War, and had performed many interrogations on all kinds of people. He'd lived through the memories of rape victims as though they were his own, ripped apart the minds of rapists and a few of the more violent Shinobi Konoha had encountered during the war, even risking his own sanity a few times in order to get the needed information or take down the enemy. Yamanaka Inoichi had seen many terrible things in all those minds, but none of them compared to what lay in the mind of Uzumaki Naruto.

" **Well?** " The Kyuubi raged from behind the gate, glaring out at the room beyond, where Inoichi and Naruto were staying in the shadows. From those eyes a sort of oppressive feeling, not quite chakra, yet not too dissimilar to be called anything else, filled the room and made it hard to breathe. " **You cannot hide from me, mortals. I can** _ **smell**_ **you...** "

Inoichi had to refrain gasping at that knowledge, and it was only his professional composure that kept him from leaving and sealing off the room when the Biju eyes turned and looked _right at them_. " **Especially you, little jailer.** "

 _Naruto!_ Inoichi glanced down to see the visibly shaking form of the pre-teen, and only then began to realize what he'd done in bringing the child here. Reaching over, Inoichi gripped Naruto's shoulder and gave it a good squeeze, bringing the younger blond out of his stupor. Naruto tore his gaze away from the eyes of the Biju to look at Inoichi with scared, fearful eyes, and for a moment Inoichi saw his daughter standing before him, looking at him pleadingly in the face of such danger, and he knew what he had to do.

"Who are you?" Inoichi called out to the Biju, stepping out of the shadows. He'd seen more than enough scared children, especially during the war, and had grown quite protective of any child who'd sought him for help or guidance.

" **I already told you that, insolent human.** "The Biju replied. " **But for the sake of amusing myself upon you, I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune.** "

"Are you really?" Inoichi replied, unimpressed with the posturing. "Because I could have sworn that when he escaped his confines the _real_ Kyuubi no Kitsune left behind an empty shell of a body."

" **Lies.** " Hissed the Biju, its' hot breath cascading down into the room, ruffling the water around Inoichi into little ripples spreading out and away from the gate. Inoichi, for his part, did nothing to indicate he'd been intimidated by such a tactic. " **I did no such thing. I have existed for countless centuries, and** **not once have I ever left my body. Who or what dares to use my title for itself?** "

"It's true!" Naruto yells, moving to stand by Inoichi, his bravado returned after witnessing the older man's actions. The Biju looked almost amused at the reveal of the young blond. "Kyuu-Kensuke's the real Kyuubi! You're just an impostor!"

" **I am not an impostor.** " The Biju responds, all traces of amusement gone. " **Who's to say that the one proclaiming themselves to be me isn't the impostor? After all, no Biju would ever take on a** _ **name**_ **.** " The giant fox spat out the word as though it were poison. " **I would know if there was another being like me roaming the world, don't take me for one of you fools.** "

"I see." Inoichi barely had any idea of what was going on, but he knew enough to tell that there wasn't anything wrong with the seal- not that he'd had much practice in the mind of a Jinchuuriki. The closest he'd come to actively dealing in the mind of a Jinchuuriki was when he and his squad had captured the elderly Jinchuuriki of the Yonbi, but even then he didn't delve deep enough to gather a large enough knowledge about the mental depictions of those kinds of seals. A few more minutes and he would have enough to report back to Lord Hokage. "How far back does your memory stretch?"

" **Like I would tell the likes of you.** " The Biju retorted, its' eyes disappearing into the darkness, and Inoichi was given the impression that it had just turned tail and flippantly waved its' tails back at him in a dismissive gesture. " **Now begone before I am forced to use... excessive force.** "

"HELL NO!" Naruto shouted at the Biju, and Inoichi didn't know whether he should commend the kid on the amount of guts to be so defiant towards a Biju (or at least, the animated body of a Biju, if his theory held true) or slap the kid upside the head like he would do to Ino when she was being disrespectful. "We didn't come down here just to be brushed off by the likes of you! Now answer the question!"

Inoichi was leaning towards slapping the kid upside the head. With a hard lecture on the idiocy of his actions, if this was any indication of the kid's rationale.

" **Impressive. Few have had the gall to speak to me as you do.** " The Biju's eyes glinted in the darkness beyond the gates, and Inoichi began to rethink the slapping and lecture. " **I remember the early times of my creation, the many futile attempts by you Shinobi to capture me and harness my power, that thrice-damned Wood User and his opponent, Uchiha Madara. I remember being sealed within the Wood User's wife, and her useless attempts to teach me to be more civilized. HA!** " The Biju let out a bark of a laugh. " **As if we Biju have want or need for any of those trivial idiocies. The only useful thing I learned from her was how to communicate with you humans, though why I would ever do that is unknown. I suppose you could say it was... on a whim, I believe, is the turn of phrase I'm looking for. I can just imagine the looks on your faces when I** **laugh at you, taunt you for mistakenly thinking that you can defeat me. You shall reek of fear and it will be... invigorating.** "

"Come Naruto." Inoichi gently tugged on the boy's shoulder away from the gates. "We've seen and heard enough. It's time to go."

He didn't say that he was scared, because he wasn't. He was terrified. Here lay a beast that was nigh invincible, and the only thing keeping it from killing them all was the mental fortitude of a 12-year-old Genin.

Inoichi suddenly had a greater respect for Naruto's ability to stand up to the strongest of the Biju.

Naruto nodded, his face hardened, and he gave the glowing eyes one final glare before turning with the elder blond and leaving with the man.

" **That's right, leave!** " The Biju called out to them in the growing darkness. " **Leave like the cowards you are, and dread the day of my rebirth!** "

* * *

"So the Shodai's wife was your first container." Ibiki summarized. "She taught you many things, and you don't like talking about her."

"Yes. Now if you would please respect my wishes..." Kyuubi impatiently tapped his fingers against his arms, which were crossed over his chest.

"Did you have any other Jinchuuriki after her?" Ibiki questioned, and Kyuubi was all too eager to jump at the new topic.

"Yes. The boy's mother, Kushina." He shuddered as he remembered the chains- and the nightmare. "She was the first to introduce me to how vindictive you humans can be."

"She tortured you?" Ibiki raised an eyebrow, which stretched his scars ever-so-slightly. "I didn't think such a thing was possible."

"Nor I." Kyuubi agreed. "But somehow, she did."

"What did she do?" Ibiki leaned forward, and Kyuubi noted from the corner of his eye that the man seemed almost like a predator stalking its' prey.

"Something that haunts me to this day. As much as I'd like to avoid talking about Mito, I do not yet wish to reveal Kushina's torture methods." Kyuubi shifted, looking at Ibiki directly. "Though I do have a question for you."

"Oh?" Ibiki seemed impressed.

"Yes. It is about 'dreaming'." Kyuubi elaborated. "Nightmares, to be specific."

"You've never dreamed before, have you." It wasn't a question.

"Never." Kyuubi answered. "Before, I simply rested and replenished spent energy. Dreaming is new to me."

"I'm not surprised." Ibiki told him. "Dreams are a manifestation of our subconscious, and given that you previously lacked the capacity for it, you've never had need or ability to do so before."

"Interesting..." Kyuubi would have to pick up one of those human information tomes- books, if he recalled correctly- and research what a 'subconscious' was. "I have need of your knowledge to explain a... nightmare I had recently."

"I know enough to figure out the meaning behind a dream." Ibiki informed Kyuubi. "Go on."

"In it, I am back as I was before being sealed in the boy- against an orb of chakra with spikes impaling me onto it from my hands and feet. However, I am in this human form, and the chakra in the orb burns me."

"That's just your anger at having been caged for so long, and it hurts because it represents the pain of being caged." Ibiki rattled off, unimpressed.

"I'm not done." Kyuubi growled. "The spikes are connected to chains, and they are pulled taut, giving me great pain, before they loosen and repeat the process. This is similar to what Kushina did to me."

"Interesting..." Ibiki mirrored Kyuubi's own use of the word, and bade him to continue.

"The burning of the spikes against my skin caused it to flake off, and I _felt_ the skin and muscle of my back melted off of me. Are these 'dreams' supposed to be so lifelike?"

"Only the really bad ones." Ibiki said with an incline of his head.

"In any event, Kushina appeared from the shadows, and by this point, I was begging her to let me go. The pain was too great." Kyuubi began to get lost in his memory of the nightmare, his voice becoming quite distant. "But she just laughed, and the chains started pulling harder. I _heard_ more than felt the dislocation of my shoulders and legs, but the pain was soon increased when the orb began to pulsate even further, and I started to feel more of my body burn away at the touch of it. I pleaded for mercy, but Kushina's entire form melted away, like a snake shedding its' skin, revealing Mito in her place. She told me there would be no mercy for beasts like me, and my eyes began to leak some salty fluid."

"Tears." Ibiki supplied. "You were crying."

"Yes." Kyuubi absentmindedly agreed. "Yes, I suppose I was crying. By that point, the pain from my dislocated joints and the liquefaction of my internal organs nearly proved too much for me. I begged and pleaded for forgiveness, but she asked me why I was sorry."

"You didn't end your relationship with her on good terms, then?" Ibiki lightly pressured, and Kyuubi shook his head.

"No. We'd fought." He took a deep breath. "She turned into me."

"You?" Ibiki raised both eyebrows.

"My true form as a Biju." Kyuubi explained. "It sniffed me, smelling me, the pull dragging me along the spikes, before it told me that I had nothing to be sorry about. I was getting exactly what I deserved. And then it exhaled, sending me into the center of the chakra orb, where I believe I died and awoke." Kyuubi turned to look at the scarred man. "Do you know what it feels like to slowly die from your skin melting away?"

"No." Ibiki reached up, messing with his bandanna for a moment. Pulling it off of his head, he revealed the scars running deep into his skull. "But I think I've got a pretty good idea."

The sight pulled Kyuubi out of his stupor, and he shook his head, regaining his aloof stance.

"Impressive... for a human." He commented. "Humans have always fascinated me in their animalistic methods of garnering information from one another."

"Your dream is quite complex." Ibiki began. "What I can tell you now is, you've got guilt and anger pent up inside from what you did- or perhaps didn't do- to Mito, Kushina, and you're taking it out on yourself. Literally, in your dream."

"And?" Kyuubi looked at him, annoyed at the simple explanation. "Is that it? I slighted both of them at some point, and am now punishing myself when I don't know what it was that I did to slight them?"

"You asked." Ibiki replied with a shrug of his shoulders, standing. "I believe I have enough to go on for now. We may meet again in a week or so."

"Fine." Kyuubi petulantly stated, glaring at his bed. "Now go before I am forced to use... excessive force."

* * *

The trip out of Naruto's mind was much easier than going in, and soon the pair of them found themselves back in the real world. Inoichi sat up, moving to leave.

"Wait." He stopped, looking back at the younger blond, who had gotten up off of the bed and was looking at him pleadingly. "What about Kyuubi?"

"You just saw what it was like, Naruto." Inoichi began. "From what I can tell, the seal's holding strong."

"Not _that_ Kyuubi, _my_ Kyuu-Kensuke." Naruto caught himself, and Inoichi silently noted the possessive tone used when describing- oh. _Oh_... "What's this mean for him?"

"Are you sure you don't care about Kensuke?" Inoichi teased, watching in faint amusement as the blond's face lightly blushed.

"I _don't_ like him." Naruto pressed, and Inoichi had to keep the smile from his face.

"I never said anything about liking him." Naruto's face went even redder, and the pre-teen stomped over and shoved Inoichi, who decided to humor the younger blond. "But I honestly don't know. He might just remain like that for the rest of his life, but it's too early to say. It's been less than a week since he was... let's say created. For all intents and purposes, Kensuke's like a newborn baby. We won't know for another few weeks, if not months or possibly years from now."

"So you're gonna do nothing?" Naruto sounded outraged, and Inoichi sighed.

"I don't like it any more than you do, kid, but your crush will just have to be left alone for now." Naruto sputtered indignantly.

"He's not my crush." He vehemently told the older blond, who simply gave a tiny smirk. "I _don't_ like him."

"Sure you don't." Inoichi sarcastically agreed, and left Naruto alone.

"I _don't_." He called after the retreating man.

* * *

Lunch wasn't much more muted than breakfast.

"I _don't_ like him. I don't _like_ him." Naruto looked over at Kyuubi, who was deep in his own thoughts, before diving back into his own world. "I _don't like him_."

Kyuubi wasn't in any better of a shape.

"I never slighted them." Kyuubi repeated to himself. "They made their own choices, I had _no_ say in them whatsoever!"

"Don't know _where_ he gets off saying those things!" Naruto ranted. "Just because he works with peoples minds does _not_ give him the right to make stupid accusations!"

"Did I ask to be sealed in them? No~" Kyuubi continued. "As if I would want such a demeaning thing to happen to me!"

"Spineless idiot." Naruto finished under his breath, returning to reality in time to hear Kyuubi finish his own rant.

"Worthless imbecile." Kyuubi murmured.

"You talking to me?" Naruto groused, and Kyuubi scoffed.

"As if I would voice my problems to one such as you." The two glared at each other before Naruto broke the silence.

"Your psych guy a jerk too?" Kyuubi nodded.

"He mistakenly assumed that I cared about my previous containers, and was now punishing myself through my dreams." Naruto shook his head.

"At least you got the better half of that deal. _My_ guy said I had a crush on you!" The both of them looked disgusted at that thought and simultaneously spoke up.

"As if _that_ would ever happen."

Tenzo just shook his head at their antics, keeping the irony of the situation to himself.

* * *

 

"Er, Kyuu-Kensuke?" The Biju-turned-human looked up upon hearing his name being called, and looked up from his book on the mind (that the Wood User had pulled some strings to get for him, something he _still_ felt disgusted about) to find Naruto staring at him from the 'couch'. "You busy?"

"I am presently learning more about this 'subconscious' that imbecile mentioned. Why do you ask?" Kyuubi replied, nose half-buried in his book.

"It's just..." Naruto fidgeted, and Kyuubi extricated his nose from the book, marking the page and closing it. "Um..."

"Just say it, boy." Kyuubi snapped, making Naruto flinch.

"That mind guy, Inoichi, he went with me into my mind to check out the seal and..." Naruto trailed off.

"And my empty body." Kyuubi supplied, curious about it's condition. "What of it?"

"That's the thing." Naruto stated. "Your body, it wasn't quite as, um... empty, as you made it out to be."

"What are you getting at?" Kyuubi narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Without my mind, my body is simply an empty husk filled with demonic energy."

"That's... not quite true." Naruto told him, nervously scratching one of his whisker-marks. "There's kinda... a new you, I guess."

"A new me." Kyuubi repeated. "Would you care to elaborate on that matter?"

"I don't know how, but there's a mind in that body, and it says it's you." Naruto explained. "Didn't even believe you had escaped, and called you an impostor."

"An impostor?" Kyuubi couldn't believe what he'd heard. It just wasn't possible for there to be two of the same Biju existing. He'd heard from Mito the rumored attempts to use pieces of another Biju to duplicate it, and the destructive results, on both the Jinchuuriki _and_ the Biju itself. There was one of each Biju, no more, and it just _wasn't possible_. There had to be some kind of explanation for what had happened. "Did it not occur to you that _it_ was the impostor? There can only be one of each Biju, as past attempts to create replicas of us did not end suitably for any involved, _including_ the Biju."

"I'm sure." Naruto nodded his head resolutely. "It talked like you do, calling us mortals and using that odd way of speaking you do."

"Then I do not know how to explain such an occurrence." But he was going to ensure that it never happened again, once he had regained his lost power and taken back his older form. He stood up, moving into the hallway and towards his room. "Now leave me be. I must confer upon this alone."

"You're welcome!" Naruto angrily called out to him as he entered his room. Setting his book upon the shelf, Kyuubi debated removing his pants before deciding against it. Whatever changes had been made when he received them from the Wood User had made them considerably less itchy. Getting up onto his bed, Kyuubi shifted his feet into a sitting position and closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing and calming his mind. This most basic of meditation techniques had proven quite useful countless times in the years since learning it from Mito, and he was using it now to gather his thoughts on the matter of the entity residing in his body.

Fact one: the Biju weren't entirely corporeal, and were little more than a living mass of demonic energy.

Fact two: _he_ was the culmination of all sentience within that mass of demonic energy.

Fact three: without him, that demonic entity was little more than a comatose being with no mind whatsoever.

Wait.

The Biju were sentient demonic energy.

He was the singular mind created _by_ that energy to give the Biju guidance, a goal of sorts.

Without him, it would just form a new mind with the same memories as him, but without everything that made him unique.

All of them together left him with but a single realization.

_I am but an expendable piece of a Biju, not the Biju itself._

This was an unsettling thought, and one that _could not_ be real. _He_ was the Kyuubi no Kitsune! No one and no thing could be what he was! It didn't matter that his body had created a new mind for itself, he would _crush_ it into nothing when he regained his body.

But how?

The simple question stopped him in his tracks. Ever since he'd woken up in this human body two days ago, he'd continuously thought of when he'd return to his former glory, yet he'd not given it any thought at all. Where were the plans, the theories of getting back his body? Where was his ambition to return to being a Biju? Did he even want to be a Biju anymore?

Kyuubi shuddered at that last thought, and banished it from his mind immediately. He was Biju, not human, and would begin to find ways to return to power right that second.

 _Yes.._ Kyuubi thought to himself. _The days of being human will be over soon enough._

And yet, a small part of him still wondered- what was he, if he was no longer Biju, if he ever had been Biju to begin with?


	6. Impression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A nightmare is had, chakra is discussed, and plans are made.

Amber eyes snapped wide open, fully taking in their surroundings. Glancing left, a black nothingness that took all heat. To the right, a giant gate loomed, emitting a bright orange-yellow glow that made the eyes squint, the round pupils contracting from giant orbs to minuscule pinpricks mber eyes snapped wide open, fully taking in their surroundings. Peering into the dim glow coming from the gates - a glow that was quickly eaten by the chilling empty darkness of the black nothing. Blinking back tears, the owner of the eyes raised a hand to cover them from the light, however dim it was. 

Kyuubi gazed through the slit of his eyes, looking at the gate before him in confusion. Turning his head to and fro, he saw nothing else with him in the cold space. He was alone. A quick glance at himself showed he was naked.

Placing his hands on the 'ground' - or a solid part of the black nothing, as there didn't appear to be any kind of signals of there being an end to the black in any direction, save for the gate. Pushing against the semi-hard inky black, Kyuubi stood upright. Staggering forward in the vertigo, his foot came upon an icy substance, so cold it was almost burning. Recoiling, his foot went back to it's original position, only to come into contact with the burning ice once more.

"Ah!" He cried out, wrapping his forearms around his knee and propping his foot against his left knee. Staring at the ground in confusion, he reluctantly released his leg of his grip before tentatively placing his partly flash-frozen foot onto the ground again, pulling it back into the air with a hiss. Rubbing warmth back into his right foot while precariously balancing on his left foot, Kyuubi looked at the 'ground' below him in confusion.

_How...?_

That wasn't normal cold he'd felt. No, it was the cold chill of death. He was obviously back within the brat- Naruto, he reminded himself- but this chill was new to him. Looking down at his human body in distaste (for it had to be the only reason that he felt this deathly chill- the 'body' of a Biju was little more than corporeal demonic energy, and as such was largely desensitized to most anything outside of grievous injury), Kyuubi longed for his old body; for the inability to feel heat and cold outside of extremes; for the regenerative power he held; for the sheer, undiluted _power_ he had had. However, instead of his giant powerful self, he was stuck in this weak, pitiful excuse for a body. If he were in his old body, he'd-

" **You'd what?"**

The voice came from everywhere and nowhere, and sent a chill running down Kyuubi's spine like he'd just fallen backwards onto the 'ground'. He stilled, though that didn't keep the voice he'd barely recognized as the one he was supposed to have in his old- no, his _rightful_ body, from continuing to sound as though it was coming from-

" **Do you really think that such an... idiotic idea will not stop me from crushing you like the insect you are?** "

_Behind!_

Whirling on the ball of his foot, he came face-to-face with... inky black. Not a single hint of dark crimson in sight. Underfoot, the 'ground' began to suck the warmth from his foot, the sudden freezing numbness causing him to lose his balance and fall backwards, onto the deathly cold substance.

" _No_!" Thought and speech acted as one, and he quickly rolled onto his hands and knees before the cold could fully sink in. As his hands and legs slowly lost their feeling, Kyuubi heard an unnatural sound- almost like the grinding of boulders against human flesh, wet and screeching and wrong and full of mockery and superiority and just completely and utterly _wrong_.

" **How quaint, the insect is scared.** " The voice came from above and below, echoing in the vast- yet so very, very entombing- black. " **Tell me, insect, what is it that gives you the right to use my title as though it were your own?** "

Kyuubi didn't respond, instead choosing to use what little hold over his numb limbs to crawl (for the cold had encompassed too much of his legs for him to stand) toward the dim light of the gate. The gate was his only saving grace while he was like this. If he could just make it there, he could slip through the bars and use the wet ground to slide out of the reach of this _thing_. He'd been planning his return to his body, but had always figured it was more willpower than his having to be physically stronger than the body he would have control over. He was nowhere near strong enough to defend against this pale imitation, let alone defeat it!

" **Running away?** " The voice was mocking, and he immediately knew where it was coming from, hastening his fumbled movements toward the gate, despite the growing protest his barely-mobile limbs gave as they struggled to be more than dead weight. " **As if I would give you the mercy.** " It snarled, and Kyuubi felt more than saw a shadow descend over him as something many hundreds of times his size and weight crashed down onto him, crushing him into the darkness.

* * *

 

Kyuubi gasped, bolting upright in his bed. He felt exceedingly hot and sticky (he really should learn what the word was for the liquid his entire body emitted), and his breathing was short and ragged. Peeling the soaked fabrics off of him, he sat upright, shifting his body away from the wet stain on his bed that he found uncomfortably hot.

"Perhaps I need to reevaluate my plans?" He thought aloud, his voice breathy and winded. He looked down at his hands, and simply stared at them, ruminating on what his latest nightmare had been about. He'd spent the past few days learning everything he could about Seals and chakra from those 'books' the wood user had gotten for him, and had found little in how he could free his body without condemning it to the hold of the Shinigami. What he had learned was that anything, corporeal or no, that was sealed could not be removed unless one of two things happened- either the seal was destroyed or the object that was sealed was unsealed. Since neither could be met (as he knew from experience with Kushina that if the area where the seal resided was injured, it wouldn't affect the seal itself, and he had no knowledge of how to reverse a seal done by the Shinigami, if such a thing were possible), this left Kyuubi with something of a quandary. He could neither unseal his body, destroy the seal, and had no foreseeable access into the seal- his method of escape was unidirectional.

"Kyuu-Kensuke?" There was a knocking on the door to his bedroom, and Kyuubi sighed in annoyance. Every time he had a nightmare, the boy came checking up on him.

_Damn chakra dependence..._

Wait.

This body was made of nothing, and as such had yet to develop its own chakra coils and tenketsu. Because of that (and his own consciousness), it had latched itself onto the being that bore it- Naruto- and used Kyuubi's own connection through the seal to safely divert a portion of the boy's own chakra and alter it into generic chakra to reside in the body while it built up it's own chakra coils with his own human chakra. It was the exact same for developing fetuses, which leeched from the mother's chakra as it created it's own to sustain it. The connection was presumably unidirectional as well, but if it wasn't...

Then it provided a way for him to remove his true body from the seal. The process would undoubtedly rip his human body to shreds, but it was a dead shell even if it wasn't obliterated.

"What is it boy?" He irritably responded, giving the unspoken command to enter. The boy, wearing only the bare minimum of clothes (a shirt and boxers, which Kyuubi had entertained the notion of wearing to sleep before dismissing as extraneous), entered into the room, looking just as concerned the night before as he was now.

"I, um..." Naruto appeared to fumble with his words before a disapproving sigh got the pre-teen to finally speak his mind. "I, uh, felt you have another nightmare."

"You... _felt_ me?" Kyuubi inwardly wondered if this was the proof he needed- that the connection was bidirectional. "Explain."

"It's odd, you know." Naruto began, rubbing the back of his head as he tried to put it into words. Kyuubi knew that much and expended all his energy on the patience required to get the information needed. No matter how trivial it may turn out to be, anything on their connection was useful. "It's getting harder to tell what you're feeling each time, but it's... kinda like the feelings are coming from my stomach. Does that make sense?" Kyuubi resisted the (admittedly strange) urge to have his eyes roam from one side to the other, as though they were rolling.

"From my limited knowledge of human anatomy, what you are experiencing is what expectant mothers feel."

"Uh..."

"Pregnant women can feel their children. Since the child's chakra is still developing, it draws upon the mother's chakra to sustain itself until it can produce chakra itself." At Naruto's nonplussed stare, Kyuubi simplified it further. "My human body cannot yet produce chakra, so it draws on yours like the unborn child draws on the mother's chakra. Because of this, you can feel what I feel as long as the connection exists and this body needs you to stay alive."

"Where do you learn this stuff?" Naruto asked him. "I doubt those books you've been reading made you so knowledgeable. And also, how do you know how to read?"

"My past is my past, and none but me shall know of it." Kyuubi cryptically answered, hedging his bets on that sentence confusing Naruto into leaving.

"...Right." Naruto shook his head in a manner that Kyuubi presumed to be an idiomatic human response to foregoing a confusing topic to continue the task at hand. "So, can you tell me what you keep dreaming about every night, or is that another of your 'my past is my own' things?" Naruto attempted a barely passable impersonation of Kyuubi's own voice, which, for some strange reason, had him feeling like a piece of his stomach had been removed and replaced with a squirming object. He would have thought that he was ill if he didn't _like_ that the feeling was there, making him feel warm and _happy_.

If he didn't suspect the man of doing something to him, Kyuubi would have made plans to have a doctor or Morino take a look to ensure that his human body was in good health. He was Biju. Biju destroyed and hated- they didn't _like_ anything.

"No, but that doesn't mean that you can inquire about my life. And do not impersonate my voice in the future; I find it degrading." It was actually the opposite, but he would _never_ say as much out loud. Ever.

"Oh." Naruto seemed to wilt a little at that, and the warm feeling turned into a rock that was quickly squashed into nonexistence. "I'll be going now. I hope you sleep better."

Kyuubi said nothing, a number of thoughts and half-formed ideas floating about his mind. One of the thoughts latched onto the forefront of his mind, quickly growing into the beginnings of a plan.

"Say, brat." Naruto stopped in his path to the door, and twisted his torso to better look at Kyuubi. "Why don't you teach me how to use chakra? It might make the both of us sleep better at night, not having to wake each other up." It was a lie, but Naruto didn't need to know that. The bit of his stomach that had warmed up now felt icy cold, like he had felt in his dream, but he ignored it as Naruto seemed to come to finally work through whatever internal dilemma he was having.

"I don't really see why not." Naruto had turned his back towards Kyuubi and left the Biju-turned-human to grin maliciously in the darkness, unwitting of Kyuubi's plans for that chakra training.

* * *

 

The morning passed with a quieter air than before, and Tenzo was left suspicious of both pre-teens. While the silence was to be expected of Kensuke, Naruto's refrain from speaking little more than the obligatory thanks for the meal was most unusual.

"You seem rather quiet today. Something on your mind?" He hoped that inquiring would get Naruto to open up about what seemed to be troubling him.

"Ah, just trying to figure out how to help Kyuu-Kensuke use his own chakra." The blond replied, waving his hand absentmindedly while tapping his fingers against his glass of juice. Kyuubi, who was staring at the plate in front of him intently while eating his own breakfast, remained unaware of the conversation. "I figure I know enough to help out when he's got ahold of it, but I don't think I can really help him in getting a grip on it."

"Oh?" Tenzo was skilled enough in lying and deception that he wasn't showing any outward sign of his worry. Kensuke, outside of proving a baser knowledge of humans, hadn't really showed a want to learn more- sure, he'd requested (more like politely demanded, Tenzo inwardly snorted) several books on the Sealing arts, but that was most likely the need to understand the prison he had been kept in (Sealing required a finesse and knowledge about itself that few could control if they weren't at least Jonin rank and skill. The idea that Kensuke, who had been alive for a little over a week, could achieve those requisite skills was completely laughable). Most likely, Kensuke was coming to terms with his newfound humanity in his own way, and figured that being able to use chakra himself was a normal thing for everyone in the Elemental Nations. While he wasn't wrong in that line of thought, it was why Kensuke sought to access his chakra that had Tenzo baffled- and confusion, to Shinobi, did not end well. "Why don't I help you teach him to access his chakra. Who knows- maybe you'll learn something as well?"

"Really?" Naruto stopped tapping a beat against his cup and looked at the older man in confusion. "But what else is there to know?"

"Well, if I told you now, it would defeat the purpose of teaching it to Kensuke later." Tenzo replied with a smirk that was quickly mirrored by Naruto (though the blond's smirk was much more toothy and would almost be considered menacing to anyone else). Inwardly, Tenzo figured that this was the best method of keeping control over the situation- if he was there when Kensuke learned to use his chakra, then he'd be able to figure out what the Biju-turned-human was up to.

Kyuubi just continued staring contemplatively at his plate, unaware of what had transpired around him.

* * *

 

Kyuubi eyed the room he was currently in with more than a little curiosity. While he had known that the abode he, the brat and the Wood User was larger than he had seen, he'd not gone out of his way to seek out every single room- mostly, he'd gone between his own room, the dining room, the sitting room and the bathroom, and steadfastly ignored all other rooms on an as-needed basis. Sure, he knew there were two other rooms for the brat and Wood User, but he had had no interest in either (why would he, really), and had adopted a similar mindset with the rest of the house, ignoring the fact that the common area (he vaguely remembered it being referred to as a 'hall') stretched past his room, with several doors leading to different rooms.

Like the one he was currently in.

The walls were coating in books resting on the planks of wood he'd come to know as 'shelves', entire sections devoted to dozens of different subjects, ranging from gardening (which he only knew about since Mito spent much of her free time tending to the various plants that she cultivated; it was one of the more desirable traits he had been rather fond of about her) to the baser theories about chakra usage in jutsu to the Sealing arts- including some of the novels that the Wood User had procured for him.

He would have to remember to return to this room in the future (until he got his real body back, of course) to learn more about the human subjects he was particularly interested in.

"So, you wanted to learn how to access your chakra?" The voice came from behind him, prompting a return to the matter that brought him into the room in the first place. "Or did you just want to know where the books are kept?"

"I do intend to access this body's chakra." Kyuubi icily responded, still irked at the Wood User's all-too-casual demeanor- as anyone with the power to hold control over the Biju fancied themselves as something akin to demigods, in Kyuubi's opinion, when in reality they were just incredibly lucky individuals who had managed to impose their will upon the Biju. Kyuubi, having had little contact with humans who thought they could control a being such as him- and even less with those that could- felt more than a little pretentious thinking along such lines when he barely knew either Uchiha Madara or the Shodai Hokage, but those few times he _had_ come into contact with them, they had appeared much too haughty and sure of their power over the Biju to be anything more than random humans able to do something that most likely would never occur again, that he felt quite comfortable in his assessment of any human similar to either Madara or the Senju being ones he would despise for millennia to come.

"Then stop looking at the books and pay attention." The Wood User sighed, as if beleaguered by the mere act of ensuring Kyuubi was obedient (which set off another tirade in Kyuubi's mind that was once again pushed aside for the time being).

"I am being quite attentive. I was merely taking a moment of time to perform a cursory study of the subjects covered, and which I should take note of to return to in the future." Kyuubi made it sound like the Wood User was the one in the wrong, and shifted his gaze over to the blond standing to the side, between two others. "I was under the impression that this was to be an endeavor performed by just the two of us, boy."

"It was." Naruto replied almost hesitantly. "But I don't remember enough of when I first accessed my chakra to really help you access yours, so Tenzo is here to help you."

"I neither want nor require the Wood User's aid." Kyuubi coldly responded. "I sought your aid and yours alone. The fact that you opted out of aiding me now has me reevaluating whether I should even consider you to be worthy of being the one I defer unto when I come across an aspect of humans I know nothing about."

It took half a second for the full connotations of Kyuubi's statement to sink in, but when it did, Naruto had a fair counterpoint.

"I didn't back out!" He protested. "I just don't know enough about accessing chakra for the first time to be able to help you much, if at all."

"Then learn." Kyuubi blandly retorted. "I am not in the business of seeking aid from those I despise."

"Tenzo's helping you and you're gonna like it!" Naruto's tone was one of finality, making Kyuubi feel as thought a weight had replaced his stomach and was threatening to drop down towards the ground if he protested any more. "And we'll talk about who is and isn't 'worthy' of helping you later."

Kyuubi's leadened stomach went into a state of weightlessness upon hearing Naruto's imitation of his voice again, the mocking tone (in such a non-childish way) stirring up feelings of, of... _guilt_.

He felt _guilty_. And for, what, merely speaking his opinion on who he should and shouldn't accept aid from?

No, it wasn't just that.

He felt guilty for speaking his opinion against _Naruto_.

He was Biju! Biju don't feel guilty, and they- _he_ certainly shouldn't feel guilty for angering his former container. No matter how much he may have wished it so in the past, neither Naruto nor the brat's mother were Mito- the only thing that connected them to her was the name Uzumaki.

Yes, that was it. He was mistaking Naruto for Mito, both being (and having been) rather determined in achieving the goals they set out for themselves. That was all it was- mistaken identity, nothing more.

"You are not my master." Kyuubi retorted, his resolve returned. "However, I am one of the few that can attest to your ineptitude, so this... _substitute_ ," The word was spoken with so much venom that Naruto flinched slightly, making Kyuubi smirk toothily. "will be adequate enough, given there is no outside interference when I access this body's chakra." Kyuubi was glaring at the Wood User during this last statement.

"There won't." The Wood User sagely nodded his head in agreement, increasing Kyuubi's ire towards the man. "Your body needs to naturally learn how to access your chakra. While a second person _is_ required in aiding this process, they'll be more of a guide than accessing your chakra for you."

"What, precisely, is the process and what does it entail?" Kyuubi begrudgingly asked. While he may hate the Wood User and all of his ilk, that didn't mean that he wasn't so callous as to ward off any kind of necessary aid due to matters of pride.

"Well, since my chakra appears to naturally repress yours, Naruto will be acting as the guide in this instance." The Wood User began. "And, in a nutshell, it's basically that Naruto channels some of his chakra into you, sparking your own to repel his chakra from entering your system."

"Why would it do that?" Naruto spoke up, his face twisting into a frown of confusion. Kyuubi was curious about the answer as well.

"The chakra of any one person is like a magnet." The Wood User began. "It attracts and repels other chakra. The kind it attracts in generic chakra, which is simply base chakra- a blend of pure physical and spiritual energies."

"What do we do with it?" Naruto asked, and Kyuubi remained silent, allowing Naruto to ask all the questions. There were certain aspects of pride he would not rise above.

"Well, our chakra absorbs it and makes it into our own. However, generic chakra doesn't exist in large amounts- it's so minute that we barely even notice that it's there. There are several uses of generic chakra in the fields of medicine and chakra sensing, but that's for another time." The Wood User paused briefly to regain his breath, and started again. "The chakra that our bodies repel is that of other people."

"Because two magnets don't attract each other." Naruto nodded in understanding.

"Exactly." The Wood User nodded as well. "And so our own chakra will build up and work to remove the foreign chakra from our bodies. Since we can feel the chakra entering us, it's only natural that we can feel our chakra working inside us as well."

"And because of this, when the brat channels his chakra into this body, I will feel my own chakra as well as his." Kyuubi reasoned out, earning a nod from the former ANBU. "But that doesn't aid me in accessing my chakra."

"On the contrary, it does." The Wood User argued. "Since you can feel your own chakra, you'll be able to learn how to channel it yourself, and guide it in expelling Naruto's chakra from your body. Shinobi use the spiritual energy residing in chakra to channel it and mold it into jutsu, since it's just as much a part of them as it is their arm. When you can consciously remove Naruto's chakra from your body, you'll be able to access your chakra whenever you like, since you already know how to grab hold of it. From there, it's just a matter of training with it and employing various exercises to refine your control over it."

"Like tree climbing!" Naruto burst out, nodding excitedly.

"Exactly." The Wood User turned to Kyuubi, who inclined his head in agreement. "Now, let's get started."


	7. Chakra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kensuke discovers his chakra, and further investigates his connection to Naruto.

_So this is chakra..._

Kyuubi, despite having had regular interaction with Shinobi in the time before being sealed, had never felt anything like chakra. In fact, he had never before felt chakra at all. Before he was sealed, he was a hulking mass of highly condensed, demonic chakra- Yokai. Because of this, he felt nothing, though he supposed that, due to the volatile nature of Yokai, his entire form had been highly acidic, even toxic, to others- not that he cared, of course. It fit with what he was- a being of complete destruction, eating away and murdering anything and everything that he came into contact with.

Which was why he was so... amazed (for there was no other word that could adequately define what he felt) at just _what_ chakra was, what it felt like. It was unlike Yokai in so many ways- instead of being so thick that it was more like a solid mass, chakra flowed and ebbed, moving like it was water or air, encompassing every nook and cranny of anything and everything it came into contact with. Instead of feeling like it was the embodiment of hate and evil and unnatural, chakra felt like good and comfort and home and safety and _natural_ , so intimately opposite to what Yokai was. Kyuubi just lay there and basked in the thing that was chakra, letting all other things in the world melt away in the comforting warmth-

"Kyuu-Kensuke?"

He snapped back to reality, all thoughts and feelings of content evaporating as he fell back into reality. Opening his eyes ( _when had they closed?_ ), he saw the source of the voice- Naruto was staring at him oddly, like he was trying and failing to figure out something (which looked quite at home on the blond's face). Why was he-

Oh.

Right.

Learning to make contact with his ( _this body's_ ) chakra. He must have gotten lost in the initial feeling of the force that was chakra, and forgotten his true purpose- finding the chakra connection of this body to Naruto.

"What?" He snapped, making Naruto flinch and nearly pull his hand away from Kyuubi's torso. He narrowed his eyes at the blond's audacity to physically _touch_ him. "Explain why you feel the need to come into physical contact with me. _Now_."

"This is how Chunin-Sensei help academy recruits come into contact with their chakra for the first time." The Wood User stated from his position on the far side of the room- far enough away that his chakra wouldn't suppress Kyuubi's, but close enough that he could easily intervene should something awry occur. "They place their hands on the torso, which is where analysts have learned is where our chakra is formed, and the recruits are to locate and use their own chakra to attempt to remove the chakra of the Chunin-Sensei."

"Ye-yeah!" Naruto chimed in, drawing Kyuubi's attention. "This is how the Sensei at the academy helped us get control of our chakra! I remember now, it happened around the first week of term. We were lined up and were called into the exam room where-"

"I understand." Kyuubi interrupted, silencing Naruto. "I merely was making sure that there was just cause in you having come into physical contact with me. If there wasn't, then I would have to resort to... creative measures, to stop this behavior before it becomes commonplace."

"Well you didn't have to be a jerk about it. Jeez." Naruto grumbled, but went back to concentrating on gathering his chakra in his hands and sending it into Kyuubi's body.

This time, Kyuubi knew what to expect, and crushed any _feelings_ (Biju were empty, unfeeling creatures) that might have been stirred up by the feel of Naruto's chakra. Now, he was able to notice the inherent intricacies that was Naruto's chakra- how it felt like it was almost supposed to be in this body (which was logical, as the body had once been a chakra construct of the blond), but was ultimately wrong- no matter how much it was _supposed_ to inhabit this body, in the end, the body was dependent on Kyuubi's human chakra (a fact that still repulsed him slightly, but not as much as it did before, which disturbed him in and of itself). It was the feeling of utter _wrongness_ that stirred up something deep within him.

He frowned.

While Naruto's chakra didn't feel right, it didn't feel entirely wrong to want to reject it. It just felt so _warm_ and _comforting_ and–

_NO!_

The thought, if it could even be called one, came from the very core of his being, and with it came anger and disgust and... something _alive_.

He shuddered.

The rage dissipated as disgust and fear made itself known in the forefront of his mind, and with it went the feel of the alive _thing_ buried within the core of his being. It was like... it was part of him, yet at the same time _was_ him. And it made him feel...

Human.

It shocked and disgusted him to no end just how completely, utterly, horribly _wrong_ it was that the chakra this body was creating was making him feel (as if the very act of _feeling_ wasn't atrocious enough) _human_.

He shuddered. Biju were _not_ human. Biju did _not feel_ , nor did they feel _human_.

It took Kyuubi several seconds before rationality won out over pride. It was a human body, so of course it would produce human chakra. And since Kyuubi was inhabiting it, the chakra would be attuned towards him and partly from him, as the body had no spiritual energy outside of Kyuubi's.

This fact calmed him somewhat, that what chakra he had had ultimately been borne of him, though he still rankled over being associated with anything human.

" _Perhaps I shall teach you some manners."_

The words came unbidden into his mind, and with them came unsettling waves of calm. Mito had been different that other humans. Where others were scared (or, because of that damnable creature Madara, hated), Mito had held nothing but pity, viewing him as something akin to a lost soul or wild animal wanting nothing else but to be loved. Mito was the sole exception to his contempt towards humans that he would carry his memory of her until the end of existence.

For Mito.

He would bear the disgust of human chakra for Mito. To do any less would be to – what was that human phrase?

Ah, right.

To do any less would be to spit upon her memory, and the dream she'd had of him.

Of him finding purpose in his existence.

So he drew the willpower from his memory of her, and dove back into the task at hand- gripping that budding human chakra and pushing it into rejecting Naruto's. All for the sake of finding the connection, that one spot where Naruto's chakra was sent through the seal and into this body.

So he focused on the sheer wrongness that was Naruto's chakra as it reached deeper into him, and dived within himself.

He had a purpose to his life – being a Biju – and he would regain it no matter the cost.

* * *

Naruto kept his chakra flow steady (well, as steady as he could), and was left watching as Kyuu-Kensuke's eyes went blank. Moments before, he'd felt some shred of Killer Intent (which was merely the maliciousness of the person tainting their chakra and the ambient chakra in the air around them, one of the few academy lessons that had stuck in his head) emanate from Kensuke, only for it to vanish.

"Is – is he okay?" Naruto turned towards Tenzo, not knowing whether or not Kensuke's reaction was expected.

"He's fine." Tenzo replied, tilting his head to get a better look – though not moving from his spot in the far edge of the room. "This reaction is common for civilian-born recruits. Their chakra isn't as naturally built-up as a recruit from a Shinobi clan."

"Why?" Naruto asked, giving the ANBU as much attention as he could spare while maintaining the active chakra flow needed to disrupt Kensuke's own chakra.

"No one's really sure." Tenzo replied. "Chakra theory is an extremely rare subject, rarer even than Sealing."

"So no one knows, then." Naruto grunted, adjusting his position where the two teens sat without breaking his contact or flow of chakra into Kensuke's body.

"No, no. I already told you." Tenzo said. "Each person's chakra is like their own personal magnet. Someone raised in a Shinobi household would have had their chakra reacting to that of their family's. Civilians, having no need for chakra, simply don't have the contact to stimulate their chakra enough to passively draw upon it."

"...huh?" He tried, he really did, but Tenzo's explanation was just barely too complex for him to understand with what little attention he could spare towards the man.

"Never mind. I'll explain when you're better able to listen." Tenzo sighed, and Naruto was glad that the man could recognize when he was having a hard time multitasking. "Just concentrate on agitating Kensuke's chakra enough for him to get hold of it."

"What do you think I'm doing here?" Naruto grumbled to himself, well aware that Tenzo could hear him. "'Sides, it's not like there's anything _better_ to do around here..."

"I'd prefer you not degrade my home." Naruto twitched at the sudden feeling of doom that overcame him from Tenzo's direction, and his chakra output faltered as a result. Just as suddenly, though, it disappeared, and Naruto could return to channeling chakra into his hand and latch onto Kensuke's shoulder.

"Yessir." Naruto's head bobbed repeatedly, and the duo lapsed into silence once more.

* * *

 

Kyuubi couldn't quite understand just what he was experiencing at that moment.

It was like he was within Naruto's chakra, flowing and ebbing and folding and spreading out to encompass his entire being, except he wasn't. He was both the chakra and the being that held the chakra.

It was highly... confusing, this contradictory state of mind.

When he was Biju, his entire being was made of of chakra of course, so if he had been able to feel as humans felt, then perhaps his entire existence would have been described as being a fluid creature, as immaterial as chakra was.

So confusing, yet equally intoxicating.

He... _enjoyed_ that feeling, of being a set form yet at the same time an ever-changing formless entity. He wasn't alive, wasn't dead, wasn't human or Biju. He just... _was_.

The freedom of _being_ was incredible, and would have been spectacular had it not felt so, so... _empty_. Like all that he had striven towards, his purpose, reasoning and all that he had become in his search to become _more_ had become pointless. Like his aim had lost all meaning.

Kyuubi recoiled away, intent on regaining all meaning towards that mysterious _more_ that his delve into the chakra of his body (the _body_ , he reminded himself, _it isn't mine and I don't intend on having it become_ my _body_ ). Once he had all forms of reason back, he felt tired, like his very essence was used to power the chakra.

Wait.

His very essence _did_ power the chakra. It was part physical energy and part mental energy. For all intents and purposes, the chakra _was_ him as much as it was he. Following this line of thought made Kyuubi angry.

 _He_ was Kyuubi no Kitsune, strongest of the Biju.

 _He_ would control the chakra, not the other way around!

 _He_ was the creator, the master, the one who would use the chakra!

With this grim determination in mind, he delved deep inside the essence at his core. He would rule over the chakra, it would not rule over him.

This time, there was a great amount of resistance. The flowing currents became tumultuous, almost threatening to him, but Kyuubi ignored it. However much the chakra resisted, he _would_ control it. He used all of his willpower not to be entrenched and lost within the river of chakra flowing throughout the body.

The chakra current slowed as he dived back into it. He hesitated, his willpower weakening in that moment, and the current returned to the tumultuous state it was in. His metaphysical form tensed and he roared at the chakra.

"YOU WILL OBEY ME!"

The current stilled.

Kyuubi smirked at the response. It seemed his theory was correct. The form of the chakra came from the physical energy – which was controlled by force of will.

"Now come!" He commanded, only for it to do nothing.

Kyuubi scowled. It seemed that willpower wasn't enough. He needed more than that.

_But what?_

He went over his memory, trying to remember what he could when Mito had taught him about chakra. It was a mix of physical and mental... was the force and power behind all jutsu... was controlled through willpower and focus... exact mixture between the two could be altered to utilize certain-

Wait.

Controlled through willpower and focus.

If the physical part required willpower, then the mental part required...

Kyuubi smiled, and reached out for the chakra. All his concentration going towards making the chakra bend to his will.

The current moved and curled around his metaphysical form, flowing around and into him, allowing him to feel everything within and around him, filling him with a level of vitality he'd not had since before he'd been sealed away.

For the first time in nearly a century, Kyuubi felt _alive_.

And then it happened.

As the chakra was flowing into him, it was made known just how small the amount of chakra that was innately _his_ was. Almost all of it didn't come from him, instead it was like it had been generic chakra that had been assimilated and converted into his own.

_But where is it coming from!_

Kyuubi knew what it meant- the brat had divulged enough for him to recognize it for what it was – the chakra being fed into the body until it could create enough to maintain the body's health and growth development.

The very object that he had set out to find, right there for him to study and exploit with the goal of regaining his true body and freeing it from its' prison.

Kyuubi's smile didn't vanish until late into the night, long after he had rejected the encroaching chakra of the brat.


	8. Dereliction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time passes, evaluations continue, and Kensuke sets his plan in motion.

Kyuubi repressed a shiver as he accessed his (for what else could he call it; it was _his_ in all but name) chakra, which bent and flowed to his will easier the more he became accustomed to subjugating it. What he felt couldn't be called anything less than pure ecstasy, as his chakra made Kyuubi feel more alive than his entire existence as a Biju ever had. If this was what humans felt when accessing their pitiful amount of chakra, then Kyuubi, as a being made entirely of chakra, truly was a god. A hell god, perhaps, or some similar deity of the underworld.

If only he could eternally feel this... ecstasy when he returned to his true body. To spend the rest of eternity feeling this enraptured... Kyuubi would be forever indulgent in his destruction. He would allow humans the futile hope of survival; he would toy with them, learn new ways to kill them (wanton slaughter no longer appealed to him, not after learning that there existed many different ways to kill humans), perhaps even... not kill them.

Kyuubi paused in his domination of his chakra. Not... kill humans? The idea was so strange, so foreign, so alien, that he wasn't sure if it had actually occurred or if it was imagined. His purpose was to destroy anything and everything; not killing humans existed in complete opposition to that. Unless... he didn't kill them to make the destruction more than just physical.

Yes, that had to be the case. By not killing humans, he left them with the ability to strike at him, allowing him more fun in his destruction and calamity. Maybe even have them worship him as their god, using his Yokai to rid those devout enough to heed his word to cripple their enemies. And if those enemies happened to be devout worshipers of Kyuubi, well... more fun for him, then.

Returning to the task of subjugating his chakra, Kyuubi felt the need to do so decreasing with each minute that passed, and felt the corners of his mouth curl into a grin. Soon, he wouldn't need to subjugate it, and when that happened...

The Kyuubi no Kitsune would roam free once more.

* * *

 

Naruto walked (well, hobbled, since he was still using one of the crutches as somehow he was healing extra slow since Kensuke appeared) from the far end of the sitting room, stopped, turned on his heel, and walked to the far end of the hallway. When he reached the wall at the end, he turned again and went back down the path he had taken to return to the sitting room.

He was _not_ pacing, just... exercising. By walking from one end of the house to the other repeatedly. Just because he had been doing it for the past few hours didn't mean he was pacing.

Reaching the end of the hallway once more, Naruto sighed and slumped his head up against it, propping his body up.

He was bored! It had been nearly two weeks since waking up and finding that Kensuke had been, well, made? Born? Was there even a difference?

Naruto shook his head – it didn't matter whether Kensuke was made or born (although if any of his old classmates found out about where the red-head had come from, Naruto would have vastly different things to worry about than being politically correct). What mattered was that in the two weeks since learning that Kensuke had broken off from Kyuubi and been stuck in Tenzo's home, Naruto had run out of things to do. He couldn't use chakra, as Kensuke was still leeching off of him to survive and using chakra while the connection still existed was _bad_ for everyone, he couldn't train (the fact that he had to use the crutch to travel from one part of the house to the other annoyed him to no end), and as interesting as the many things covered in the library were, he just didn't have the patience to sit still and read them (let alone understand, as anything Naruto found interesting most likely was beyond his level of understanding and capability). It felt like he'd been stuck there for months, bordering on _years_.

And then there was Kensuke.

Ever since helping him access his chakra, Naruto found it easier to refer to Kensuke by his name. It might've been the feel of Kensuke's chakra (of course, feeling someone else's chakra was strange in and of itself, as it was like getting a glimpse of the world through Kensuke's eyes), but Naruto was finding it harder to relate Kensuke to Kyuubi. While Kensuke was... insufferable, what Naruto knew from the one time he had met the Kyuubi sealed within him (the logistics of just _how_ and _where_ , precisely, on him it was sealed boggled his mind) was that the beast was just that: a beast. It readily wanted to kill him and everyone else, and had no care for Kensuke, outside of wanting to ensure that there was only one to hold the title of Kyuubi no Kitsune.

Which wasn't to say that Kensuke was any better. Ever since he had been able to access his chakra, he had practically vanished within his room. He had to be dragged out for meals (not literally, as Kensuke seemed like a biter, and neither Naruto nor Tenzo wanted to find out if he was), and even then he was mostly silent and ignored them. He had become distant, and growing more and more as time went on.

"And here I thought your teammate was the silent and stoic one."

Naruto shrieked, flinching back away from the wall, his crutch falling to the side away from him as his legs gave way and he fell backwards into the arms of Tenzo.

" _Don't_ do that!" Naruto didn't want to admit to having squeaked, but the high-pitched tone that he hit was nothing less than squeaky. A small part of him cursed puberty for not yet having fully hit and removing all things squeaky and high-pitched from his voice.

Tenzo just chuckled and the rough feeling of the man's torso as he shifted gave Naruto the impression that he was being laughed at. Scowling, he huffed in annoyance as Tenzo's arms hooked themselves under his armpits and he was lifted up in the air and carried like a toddler back into the sitting room. With no warning, Naruto was dumped onto the couch face-down.

"...I hate you." Naruto growled, turning his head to the side and glaring at Tenzo, who shook his head in response, amused. Naruto chose to glare harder in response, not finding his situation amusing in any way. "There's nothing to do! I can't train or practice tree-walking! I'll bet I can't do it the next time I try!"

"Well, you won't be too bored, I hope." Tenzo replied. "There's another evaluation scheduled for tomorrow. You wouldn't want Inoichi to learn that you're not taking this chance to further your mental strength," Here Tenzo's face became shadowed and his eyes became empty and promised _pain_. "now would you?"

"N-no!" Naruto squeaked, rushing into a sitting position and to his feet – where he fell back down onto the couch as his legs gave out from under him. Now laying sideways, Naruto went back to glaring at Tenzo. "You. Suck."

"That isn't the kind of behavior expected towards the person who can get you a crutch, now is it?" Tenzo asked as he clapped his hands together, his fingers intertwined. Almost immediately, a wooden crutch grew out of his body, perfectly sized for Naruto. The newly formed crutch fell onto the floor, where the man picked it up and propped it up against the far end of the couch.

"...Why?" Naruto whined, his eyes closed into slits, brow furrowed and mouth contorted into a frown.

Tenzo's muffled laughter as he walked away only served to irritate Naruto further.

* * *

 

Kyuubi sat on the edge of his bed, doing his best to _not_ look at the man sitting on the wood chair across from him. He had humored the humans by allowing them this farce of an evaluation once before, but now that he had a plan, a way to return to his true body, and the beginnings of a plan to free himself from this new, _different_ prison of a seal?

He wasn't going to continue this farcical act any longer. There was nothing tying him to the meager limitations of a human body and life anymore, and he was much better off returning to his old habits before these new, _human_ ones settled in.

"You're much quieter today." The man said, leaning forward to put the weight of his upper body on his elbows, which rested on his knees. "I've been told that you've been closing yourself off from Naruto."

The man, this Morino Ibiki (the same one from before), was taking a highly direct approach in trying to get Kyuubi to talk. He would have scoffed if he were a lesser being. As it stood, he just laid back on his bed and propped his legs up close, knees bent as he feigned greater interest in the ceiling than in the man across from him.

"I'd have thought that spending two weeks with Tenzo would have taught you some manners." The man continued. "Perhaps we should be working on teaching you that instead?"

Kyuubi twitched, his entire body flinching at the unexpected reminder of the only human he'd ever cared about.

The only human he'd ever _loved_.

It was unintentional, as Mito had confided that the only ones to know the she held him were her husband, his brother, and later the brother's students. Such a small number, and even smaller to know of her relationship with him. There were only two who knew her first words to Kyuubi, and he was one of them.

The flinch was not missed by Morino, and Kyuubi was forced to glare at him briefly before turning his head away. From what little he knew of humans, the man would take his reaction to mean that Kyuubi cared about manners (Which he did, to an extent; Mito was adamant on ensuring that he act more civilized than a mindless beast). However, Morino would find that all avenues trying to get him to open up would fail.

He had a goal in mind, and was past the first hurdle and approaching the second. Nothing would keep him from achieving his dream and finding purpose as a Biju. _Nothing_.

* * *

Inoichi found himself in the elevator once more, facing the scene of a lone Naruto, about six or so years old, in an empty playground. The child sat on a swing, rocking his legs back and forth until he gained enough momentum to use his upper body to propel the swing forward. Higher and higher he climbed, the anger in his face melting away into one of joy at the feel of the wind through his hair and that of weightlessness as he flew back towards the ground. He continued to go higher until, on the back-swing, the young Naruto went too high, his body reaching the height of the bar the ropes of the swing were attached to.

Inoichi's heart dropped into his stomach once he realized what this was a memory of. He wanted to look away, to press the button labeled with a 'B' on it and meet up with the Genin on the level where the Kyuubi resided, but couldn't. He was transfixed, helpless to do anything except watch the memory to its' inevitable conclusion.

As the young Naruto flew down, he managed to stay on the swing as it continued forward, until it rose higher than the bar. He leaned back, but the seat bucked and the child found himself falling down to the ground, landing on his back below the swing-set. The young Naruto sat up, groaning, just in time for the seat of the swing to come back down, cracking itself upon his forehead, which sent him back down to have the back of his skull come crashing down with a _thwack_ on the ground once more. He lay there, bleeding (possibly from both hits, though Inoichi couldn't tell from his vantage point within the elevator), and there was no one around to check and see if the young Naruto was alright.

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Inoichi pressed the button labeled 'B' and leaned back against the elevator.

He _could_ have done something, gone into the memory and affected it by changing the outcome, but that was a forbidden act amongst forbidden acts. To change one's memory was to change their life. The subject would forever remember that changed memory, and alter the rest of their mind to accommodate it. At best, it would be such a mild form of dementia that the subject could continue on in society as they normally would. At worst, the subject would experience such a discord from reality as it was the the reality they had created that they would become convinced that reality was a dream and the dreamed fantasy reality.

There were rules to follow, as even the most adept of Genjutsu users knew to abide by to prevent losing touch on reality.

The elevator shuddered to a stop, and Inoichi found a disturbingly solemn 12-year-old Naruto waiting for him. He wondered, most likely not for the last time, if such untreated head wounds had affected the boy's ability to process information, or even his personality. As Inoichi listened to the boy gripe about how Kensuke was ignoring him and how bored he was getting being holed up with nothing to do, Inoichi came to the realization that it didn't matter.

What was done, was done. The past _could not_ be changed, no matter how much he, or anyone else, wished it.

* * *

" **You have returned.** "

The voice of the Kyuubi cut through the air, halting Naruto's tirade against unfair and highly unusual punishment in the form of being kept in the same place for long periods of time (which was called being 'grounded', an action that Naruto had never had happen before). He turned away from Inoichi and looked behind him, down the corridor that led towards the seal, in surprise. He hadn't realized that the two of them had reached it already (although, now that he looked around, there seemed to be less doors leading down dark corridors to who-knows-where, and the big hallway-corridor-place they were in seemed _smaller_ ).

" **It would be unwise to keep me waiting any longer, humans.** " The Kyuubi's voice drifted towards them again, and Naruto steeled himself to face the beast once more. Inoichi had had to step in and save him when he had hesitated, something he had vowed to no longer do after those two Shinobi had attacked on the C-Rank mission to protect Tazuna. He was a Genin, a ninja, an adult in the eyes of the village. If he couldn't defend _himself_ , then how could he be Hokage, the strongest defender of the entire village?

"Shut up!" Naruto called back, his voice _much_ more stable and assertive than he was inside. "We'll get to you when we do."

" **You** _ **insolent**_ **human! You** _ **dare defy me**_ **!** " The Kyuubi roared back, a guttural shriek like that of glass shattering and crushing itself into powder. The shriek did little to alleviate Naruto's internal conflict, raising a tiny voice in his head that kept screaming ' _RUN! RUN AWAY! RUN AND HIDE AND NEVER RETURN!_ '.

"I think it's best if we don't keep him waiting, Naruto." Inoichi said, gently pushing him along with the man as they went down the corridor to the Kyuubi. Naruto looked up at him, disgruntled, but didn't mention that the gloved hand was gripping his shoulder like a vice, nor that it had been shaking when it had taken hold of him. They were both putting up a brave face, for Naruto's sake.

Inside the chamber that held the Kyuubi, the red eyes could be seen glowing bright and large, as though it were much, much larger than it had been before (or perhaps, Naruto's mind supplied, it had gotten much, much _closer_ than it had before).

" **Insolent human brat!** " The Kyuubi snarled, and a mouth with sharp, pointed teeth many times the size of Naruto opened in the darkness beyond the gate in an impossibly large grin (though toothy snarl, Naruto decided, would be a more fitting description). " **What right do you have to keep me waiting?** "

For the briefest of seconds, Naruto hesitated. He knew, had been told beforehand, why he and Inoichi had gone back into his mind. For all that he was acting mature and adult, Naruto was still a child at heart. And that child was impossibly scared of what this great and terrible beast would do to him if the Sandaime and that Jiraiya guy were wrong.

But he was an orphan, and had been forced to grow up relying on himself and whatever he could find to help himself. So he could do nothing _but_ this.

"I've always healed fast." Naruto started. "Whenever I hurt myself when I was younger, getting covered in cuts and scrapes and bruises, they would be either fully healed by the time I fell into bed or gone by the time I woke up. I figured this was normal, that everyone was like that, until this one time in the academy when one of my classmates fell out of a tree and broke his leg. I watched the Sensei carry him off and thought nothing of it; that he'd be back in class all better the next day."

" **What relevance does this have to do with-** "

"But he wasn't." Naruto continued, almost screaming to be heard over the Kyuubi. "And it was about a week before I went to our Sensei and asked about him. It was then that I learned that the fact that I healed fast was strange, unnatural. So, one day, I gathered all the knives and Kunai I kept around my apartment, and decided to test if there was a limit to how fast I could heal, or even _what_ I could heal. I'd started by cutting open one of my wrists, because I'd heard that doing it was a surefire way to die."

" **As fascinating as this recollection is, I-** " The Kyuubi interrupted, but Naruto cut it off once more.

"I was found out before the knife had even made it halfway across my wrist, and taken to the hospital and told never to do that again." Naruto concluded. "I never thought about it after that, at least, not until I woke up two weeks ago and found out that there was a kid that had been created from _my_ shadow clones and _your_ chakra and claiming to be you."

The Kyuubi forewent words, instead giving a bestial snarl that sounded like shards of glass grinding itself to dust and nails on a chalkboard.

" **What relevance does any of that have, in the grand scheme of things?** " The words sounded like they came from everywhere and nowhere, and the Kyuubi's eyes glowed like fire as massive globs of spittle were flung from snapping, snarling teeth. " **What use to you when I can erase your existence with a swipe of my paw!** "

And then a hand-paw- _thing_ with insanely long and pointy claws appeared from the darkness, rushing towards Naruto and Inoichi. The gloved hand gripping his shoulder had not vanished, but it had tightened considerably and was now causing Naruto quite some pain. Time seemed to slow as the tips of the claws passed between the bars, and Naruto began to panic, that little voice telling him to run having become louder and louder until it thundered against his skull with such force that he was becoming unable to do anything except watch as the tip of one of the claws got ever closer to his face.

 _Pleasepleaseplease_ , his mind screamed, _don'tbewrongdon'tbewrongdon'tbewrongdon'tbe_ -

And then the claw stopped. A hair's breadth from his right eye, the claw had suddenly stopped moving.

" **What thrice-damned human trickery is this?** " The Kyuubi screeched ( a sound similar to the bestial snarl from moments earlier), and the claw pulled back several feet and rammed forward towards Naruto once more, only to stop once more a hair's breadth from touching the preteen.

"It- it seems that the Sandaime and Lord Jiraiya were right." Inoichi said (Naruto found the man to be considerably braver than he, given that he didn't dare say anything), and the gloved hand loosened up its death-grip on Naruto's shoulder. "This is recognized as the Kyuubi, and the seal still holds strong."

Naruto wordlessly nodded, not trusting himself not to break down if he did. He followed suit when Inoichi turned to leave, but was stopped in their tracks when the Kyuubi spoke again.

" **I had no hand in this healing power of yours. There is nothing for me to gain by keeping you alive, little jailor.** " It said. " **Perhaps I am the wrong one you should be asking, if you truly believe that farcical insect of a human is the real me.** "

* * *

Kyuubi sat on his bed, the only being in the room. After wasting nearly an hour running Morino in circles with his simple answers and body language (years of being trapped with only pale imitations of Kushina's memories to watch and decades of conversation with Mito had made him learn how to tell what one was thinking or feeling through body language), Kyuubi had finally been left alone to continue refining his control over his chakra. It was only in the past day that it had stopped resisting, and was flowing easier and faster with each passing second.

At this point, all he needed to do was take control and push through the connection, and he would be victorious.

Kyuubi stood up, and started pacing around his room, willing his chakra to flow into his feet (there had been angry mutterings from the brat about how the feet were the hardest places to mold chakra to, and if he could do that, he could do anything). It was on his fifth pass from the wall to the door opposite when his foot caught on the floor, steadfastly stuck there with chakra. Kyuubi's eyes narrowed, before he willed his chakra to allow him to walk, and went up towards the wall. Placing his foot there, Kyuubi tested how well it stuck to it before placing his other foot on the wall. Once he did, though, gravity caused his upper body to bend backwards towards the floor until chakra surged throughout his body to strengthen his muscles and convince it that where his feet were pointed was _down_ and above his head was _up_. He crisscrossed the wall several times (as well as the ceiling once) before returning to his bed.

It was time.

Kyuubi laid back, and dived down, deep within himself, searching for that wellspring that was feeding his chakra stores. It took much less time to find it, and Kyuubi appeared as a metaphysical representation of himself in front of a waterfall he was at the bottom of. Below his feet was a still pond representing his chakra, while above was where he wanted to go. Kyuubi grinned as he placed his hand against the waterfall. With a small push of effort, his hand had gone into it, becoming a reddish hand-like shape that bent and twisted in the flow of 'water'. With a thought, a tiny burst of his chakra was sent into the 'waterfall' and was being sent _upwards_ towards the source of the free-flowing 'water'.

"Goodbye, human." Kyuubi said. "Hello, Biju."

He stepped into the waterfall.


	9. Nympholepsy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once set in motion, a plan cannot be stopped easily.

The battle against Zabuza and Haku ( _Haku! How! Why?_ ) had come to an end, the artificial mist made by Zabuza's Hidden Mist jutsu revealing a sight Naruto hadn't expected to ever see.

Haku dead, Kakashi-Sensei pulling his blood-soaked hand out of the feminine boy's chest.

Zabuza several yards away, sporting long, deep gashes on his shoulders and arms.

Behind Naruto, Sakura and Tazuna had reached Sasuke ( _his dead body_ ), and the girl's muffled cries were like thunder in the silence encompassing the bridge. Kakashi-Sensei moved to stand by Naruto, carefully positioning himself between Zabuza and Tazuna.

And then there was sound. A tiny man in a business suit had appeared at the end of the bridge, flanked by several dozen thugs. Naruto didn't care, barely listening to the man and reacting when Haku's body was kicked. He yelled angrily at Zabuza to do something, and had been shocked (really, truly shocked) when the most evil, villainous man he had ever met had told Naruto to stop – with tears flowing down his face and soaking the dirtied wrappings around his face. It proved that even the most devout of Shinobi couldn't escape their emotions no matter how far they fled their humanity. So he had handed Zabuza one of his Kunai (which was caught in his sharp, pointed teeth, which only served to increase Naruto's admiration for the swordsman as it was _awesome_ ), and the swordsman had used it to carve a swath through the thugs, taking several spears and swords and knives into his body before beheading the businessman with the lone Kunai in his mouth ( _So. Awesome!_ ) before falling.

But the thugs had decided that, without the businessman (who Naruto was beginning to realize was the evil villain Gato), they should loot the town for pay instead. Naruto didn't agree with that and, chakra humming (almost literally, because he could practically _feel_ his chakra vibrating throughout his entire body after... whatever he'd done in the ice mirrors to break them and defeat Haku. Idly, he wasn't sure if having his chakra _humming_ was a good thing, but given that he needed to create an army of Shadow Clones, he pushed that thought aside.

As he formed the sign necessary to make the clones, and gathered the needed chakra, Naruto could swear the humming had gotten louder, but continued to ignore it in favor of releasing the chakra and having the army of clones to beat up the thugs.

What came next was a blur to Naruto, because as soon as he released the chakra, his entire body started screaming in pain, and the hum had become a shrieking, inhuman scream that reverberated from deep within his naval and spread throughout his entire body. It was as he began to lose consciousness that he realized that it wasn't just his chakra that was screaming; he was screaming at the top of his lungs. His entire body was alive in _pain_ , and he couldn't stop screaming, even as his voice became hoarse. He couldn't breath and was quickly losing consciousness.

Through tear-stained eyes, Naruto thought he saw an explosion of smoke surround him and a form appear in front of him, of a person with hair the color of blood appear in front of him. As the world went sideways and went dark, he almost thought that the red-haired person ( _kid?_ ) was also screaming.

* * *

 

Kyuubi walked atop the water, looking at his surroundings in disgust. He had seen this place before, but compared to the empty realm that had represented his previous seals, this was horrid. If Mito had known what she had been condemning him to, she...

The past was the past. No matter how much he wished it could be changed, Kyuubi had found out that it couldn't. Not even with the many hundreds, if not thousands, of jutsu that humans could do could they change the past.

On the bright side, Kyuubi found, he would not have been able to release himself had the seal not been different for Naruto than it had been for Kushina and Mito. And as he walked across the room, he thought back to those many hours he had spent learning about the nature of chakra, and how to control it. As he reached the gate, Kyuubi smiled.

"Hello, old friend."

Within the darkness beyond (and Kyuubi found it strange that he could feel the warmth coming into the cage, but not the cold coming out of it), a figure, massive beyond words, twisted and writhed. Blood-red eyes opened to gaze upon him, and Kyuubi's smiled diminished into an amused smirk.

" **Who are you?** " The beast within snarled, the eyes, which glowed bright in the darkness, shifted and moved closer, growing in size until they were larger than Kyuubi was. At the edge of the light that shone in from outside the gate, a massive black nose appeared, taking large gulps of air with deep, long 'snuffing' noises. " **You are not my insipid jailor, yet there is something strangely familiar about you.** "

"Oh?" Kyuubi said conversationally, the amused smile aided by half-lidded eyes and a tilt of the head. "You don't remember?"

" **Remember what, human?** " The beast growled, and beneath the nose immensely huge sharp, pointed teeth could be seen.

"I was told you didn't remember, and I was confused at first." Kyuubi continued, his hands clasped behind his back as he turned and started walking from one side of the chamber to the other. "At least, until I started to think about it, and do you know what I realized?"

" **Are you under the mistaken impression that I find any of this relevant to the matter at hand?** " The beast's teeth grew larger as more and more of its' face was brought into the light. Darkly red fur covered a massive snout that was curled up, revealing dozens of sharp, pointed teeth that were better defined as fangs. The blood-red eyes dimmed slightly in the light, but none could mistake the identity of the beast before them, for the Kyuubi no Kitsune was feared as a hell-god, of sorts. At least, that was what those few books Kyuubi had read on the subject had said about him. " **Remember** _ **what?**_ "

"It was beyond fascinating." Kyuubi continued, now traveling to the opposite side of the chamber. "Not even I could have comprehended the intricacies inherent." Here Kyuubi gave the beast an admonishing look. "Clearly you wouldn't even _know_ , now would you?"

" **And what, puny human, do I not remember, or is it that I do not comprehend?** " The beast asked, its' voice saccharine with false niceties until it nearly became an unintelligible snarl at the end. Kyuubi turned to look at it with a cloying smile, finding great amusement in the beast. He walked towards the gate, approaching the bars with reckless abandon. As soon as he came close enough, a claw came flying out towards the gate, the sharp point moving with pinpoint precision towards Kyuubi's head. Kyuubi said nothing, his smile becoming more of a feral grin like that of a predator upon his prey.

The claw stopped several inches from him, the momentum halted by the pair of hands gripping either side.

"The very simple nature of chakra." Kyuubi replied, sidestepping the claw and batting it aside, where it clanged against the bars of the gate and retreated within the darkness beyond the gate. He continued forward, his hair falling down to cover his eyes in shadow, leaving the beast with only the boy's malicious, toothy grin to stare at.

* * *

 

Naruto woke curled in on himself, his stomach feeling like molten lead eating away at the rest of him. All around him, the entire world shifted, and he was flung to the side, sliding across the water and slamming into a wall. As he fought through the pain, he looked around, the bland brick walls and rows of corridors indicating that he was deep within his mind. Staggering to his feet, Naruto pushed away from the wall, his upper body arched down and his arms curled tighter around his midsection.

"What the hell?" He gasped out, forcing his body upright, though his arms curled ever tighter around his midsection. "Why-"

The world shifted again, and Naruto was flung back down the corridor, his back slamming into the cage-like door to the freight elevator that served as transport throughout his mind. All around him, the water rose into the air, a single sheet of clear liquid separating the floor from the ceiling, and across the upper surface a wave was formed from the mysterious gravitational force that had pushed him into the freight elevator door. The wave moved quickly, and aberration across the surface that approached Naruto.

"Oh, cra-"

The wave struck, and Naruto was engulfed in the water, the wave crashing up against him and pressing him against the latticework door to the freight elevator. All to quickly, the water pulled back and stilled, and he was left pressed against the door. The burning in his navel slowly diminished into a stinging, and he was able to put his hands against the elevator door and push off of it. The force sent him moving upwards, towards the ceiling, instead of the floor, where gravity should have sent him. Touching the ceiling, Naruto pressed his palms against it to prevent him accidentally floating off down the corridor.

_This is beyond weird..._

Glancing behind him, the place he had been in the water had left an empty gap, which was being filled by the water in a churning whirlpool of movement until the hole was no more, and the water stilled.

Naruto shivered, a chill running down his spine like an ice cube, sparking a jolt of pain in his navel. Groaning, he curled up again, floating in midair, and left with more questions than there were answers. The most important of which being, what had happened. One minute he had been talking with the Kyuubi, and being told that Kensuke may know something about his now-sluggish healing abilities, and the next-

_Wait..._

There was a gap there, something important that he was forgetting. He had been doing something _after_ the talk with the Kyuubi, but for the life of him he couldn't remember. Naruto's hands crept up to his head, where his fingers dug into his hair and his nails pushing painfully into his scalp, as if to grab hold of the memory, but the more he tried to retrieve it, the more it defied his grasp. He drifted in the air aimlessly, floating in the free space between the water and the ceiling, slowly spinning around in lazy circles that were ignored in favor of attempting to remember the missing period of time.

And then, with a harsh jolt away from the freight elevator, the gravity began again. The water was reunited with the floor without so much as a ripple to show the change, but Naruto was flung out of the air, slamming into the floor and sliding down the corridor several yards, slowly coming to a stop with the distant roars of the Kyuubi in the far distance. Flexing his fingers, Naruto quickly began to pat all over his body, checking for injury. As he checked over himself, he sighed in relief at the lack of injury (the fact that he was completely dry despite having been thoroughly soaked by the water was dismissed by the thought that the water was just a figment of his imagination); ever since Kensuke had appeared, his healing had become a sluggish crawl, and the Kyuubi was _no_ help–

The Kyuubi. His healing ability. Kensuke.

He remembered.

Naruto had just finished his latest 'evaluation' with Inoichi, and had sat on his bed for some time afterward, thinking. Kensuke, according to the Kyuubi, was the reason why his healing had been so slow. He had been debating going to the red-head and demanding to know the truth, but had had several reservations. Kensuke had shut himself off from the rest of them, having had to be dragged to meals on more than one occasion. He hadn't said a single thing to either Naruto or Tenzo, and had acted like they didn't exist. Naruto had finally decided that the direct approach had always worked best for him, and had gone to find out what Kensuke had known, only to feel an excruciating pain in his navel and blacking out.

Which had explained how he had gotten here. The Seal was located on his navel, so...

Naruto's heart skipped a beat.

Something was wrong with the Seal.

Naruto stood up as quickly as he could, and rushed down the corridor. He had barely gotten a dozen steps when the gravity stopped working with a jolt. Naruto flew forwards, climbing up in the air and hitting the ceiling. Below, the water had lifted into the air once more.

"Not again!" He cried, and began scrabbling along the ceiling, using the various pipes and light fixtures to propel himself closed towards the room where the Seal resided. It was slow going, and by the time he reached the hallway to the Seal, gravity had started again. His fingers had curled around the doorway and he was fully prepared to push himself along the hallway when he was thrown bodily onto the floor once more, sliding across the water further down the corridor, further away from the hallway to the Seal. Here, the water got deeper, and Naruto felt himself drift ever further down the corridor by some unseen current. Struggling to his feet, Naruto waded against the current, heading back towards shallower water.

He had to get to the Seal. If he could try to slow down whatever was happening, then maybe someone on the outside could fix it before something really bad happened.

* * *

 

Kyuubi dodged a swipe of one of the beast's many tails, his panicking mind trying to frantically figure out where he went wrong. A ghostly, translucent figure of himself jutted out from his back, and if he squinted really hard, the same translucent shimmer could be seen outlining the beast's entire form. They had first appeared when he had passed through the gate of the Seal, and he had yet to figure out their purpose. With their appearance, though, came the loss of control Kyuubi had had over the beast, and he was doing everything he could to avoid injury to his body.

When another shadow passed over him, Kyuubi leaped to the side, avoiding the paw that had dropped down intending on destroying him, and jumped up above the tail that followed suit, swiping across the black ground in front of him. He leaped above it, only to find an ascending wave of them behind the first. He bounced from one to the next, moving higher until he reached the topmost one. He slapped his hand down on the shimmering tail, twisting around it so that he could swing to the ground. As Kyuubi pulled away from the tail a long translucent line, as thick around as his arm, stuck hard to his hand. He stared at it in confusion as he ran, his eyes trailing it back to the huge shimmering beast before him. The string pulled away from the tail, taking with it the shimmer, which made Kyuubi think he was seeing double – where once there were nine tails, now there were nine tails, and their shimmering, translucent shadows trailing behind them. A glance at the line connected to his hand, and the power flowing from it to him, as well as a double-take towards his own double, and it all clicked together.

_They're chakra..._

In order to win back his true body, he had to forcibly take it back by stealing the beast's chakra away from it. It was ingenious, and for a second he did a double-take towards the gate representing the Seal; was it always like this, so that the brat would have been able to take away his power by force?

It was an insult, both to him and the brat – what the Yondaime did was useful, yes, but ultimately was his way of saying that Kyuubi needed to be weakened first, an advantage set up to appear as though it was always there, for even the weakest of humans to be on equal footing with the Biju. An insult to Kyuubi, for thinking him so weak, and an insult to humans, for thinking themselves so strong.

Kyuubi was drawn out of his realizations as the beast stilled, having noticed the string of chakra connecting them. In less than a second, the translucent reddish-orange string turned a black-red, starting at the tail and spreading down the line towards Kyuubi. The beast grinned, teeth shining with saliva, as Kyuubi cursed and flicked his arm, the sharp motion snapping the string away from the tail, causing it to fall to the ground. The string retracted as it fell, flowing towards and into Kyuubi, boosting his strength, until the diseased red-black part reached him. When it did, Kyuubi was overtaken by the sudden appearance of wailing and screaming voices in his head, along with several hissing, quieter ones. The wailing voices screamed lamentations, that they were too weak and worthless, while the hissing ones whispered depressing truths at Kyuubi: that he was weak, weak and stupid to go against a being such as the beast, and all of this would go away if he just surrendered to it. He fell to his knees, overwhelmed by the strength of will within this iota of the beast's power. Was this the true strength of a Biju? Could he really have believed so much of himself that he could take on the strongest? Was it really hopeless?

_No..._

The thought was small, originally a denial of the reality the voices twisted and distorted, until it became his answer. He, Kyuubi, was too weak-willed to face such a beast. He had, in his arrogance, thought that taming human chakra made him more than strong enough to tame the strongest of the Biju. In truth, he was an extremely weak human. This beast before him was the real Kyuubi, and he...

He was just a human.

* * *

Naruto ran as soon as the water got low enough for it to be effective, until he reached where he thought the hallway towards the Seal was. All around him were corridors shrouded in darkness, but not one of them had the Kyuubi's roars, or gave any indication they were the one he wanted. Even though there were less doorways, they only served to make Naruto more confused.

"Dammit." He hissed, his burning stomach starting up again, after wading through the deep water had cooled it into an annoying stinging. Whatever it was that was wrong with the Seal, it was getting worse. "Dammit!"

He received only silence from the corridor, and the shadows in the doorways seemed to come closer. Naruto chose to go a different route, cupping his hands around his mouth.

"KYUUBI!" He screamed, his voice echoing all around him. "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!"

He moved one of his hands to an ear, tilting his head to better hear a response. As the echoes died down and silence fell upon the corridor once more, Naruto began to get more and more anxious with each passing second. He was just about to go running down each individual hallway to find the right one when cackling laughter erupted from behind him, the sound like glass grinding itself into dust.

_There!_

He twisted and ran to the doorway the sound was coming from, moving as fast as he could down the hallway and towards the distant light. Once he reached the room, gravity shifted once more, and Naruto was flung to the side, like his entire body had been hit with a giant fist. He bounced off of the ground, a harsh snapping noise adding to the laughter coming from behind the Seal as one of the bones in his arm broke.

"Agh!" Naruto moaned, cradling his injured right arm close to his body as he turned his entire attention to the Seal before him–

And nothing was wrong.

The gate stood, resolute as it had been before, and when he squinted to see the piece of paper with 'Seal' written on it (of course, he wondered just _why_ his mind chose to have the Seal be represented by a piece of paper holding a gate closed), there was no tear. The paper was as pristine as it had been when he had first seen it with Inoichi over a week ago. The gate itself was unchanged, nothing marking any sort of damage or weakness. The Seal was exactly the same as before.

Standing up, Naruto walked towards the Seal, where the Kyuubi's laughter still rang out. Complete blackness was all he could see, with faint flashes of red appearing. As he got closer towards the gate, the darkness retreated, and he was left staring into a pitch black room, immeasurably huge, where the Kyuubi, a massive bestial fox demon stood over a miniscule dot. Naruto focused his sight on the dot, worried over whether that dot was the reason for the pain in his navel where the Seal was. When he was within a foot of the gate, the dot gained an unnatural clarity, revealing just what, or rather who, it was.

"Kensuke!" Naruto shrieked, running forward, ignoring that the Seal was still there and he was supposed to be on the opposite side of wherever the Kyuubi was, only to be pushed back from between the bars as the feeling of two pairs of arms wrapped around him and shoved him back to the other side of the Seal. He cried out in pain as he jostled his injured arm, breathing through gritted teeth as he stood back up and glared at the Seal. He ran forward again, jumping through the bars only to once more get shoved back by the invisible arms.

He landed on his feet, prepared this time, and went towards the Seal again.

"Kensuke!" Naruto screamed, hooking the fingers of his left hand around one of the bars of the Seal. He struggled against the mysterious arms, lashing out against them however he could when they began to wrap themselves around his midsection once more. In desperation, Naruto blindly lashed out with his injured arm, and felt it connect solidly with the torso of some unseen figure. Just as soon as he made contact with the figure, the arms loosened up enough for Naruto to slip out of their grip and move into the Seal, towards Kensuke.

Naruto thought he heard two voices, a man and a woman, call his name behind him, but shrugged it off as he moved as fast as possible towards the prone Kensuke.

* * *

 

He raised his head, looking at the Kyuubi (Wasn't that what he had called himself, once?) in fear. He had no idea who (what) he was; all he knew was that he had once been a part of the great hell-beast before him. The Kyuubi, for its part, was watching him with twisted amusement. A low growling screech filled the air, a disturbing cross between glass grinding and nails across a chalkboard. The boy fell backwards, recoiling away from the Kyuubi, where the sound was coming from; it was cackling.

" **Do** _ **you**_ **comprehend, human?** " It asked him, its voice saccharine. " **Or do you simply not** _ **remember**_ **?** "

The boy pulled back even more as the Kyuubi threw back his own words from earlier. He had been so arrogant, to think that he stood on equal footing with a _Biju_ of all things! The boy was naught but a weak human, nothing more.

_What was that?_

The boy's head snapped towards the gate, and he squinted to see a blond person fly backwards, away from the Seal. In the bright light shining in from the brat's mind on the other side, the faintest of outlines of two people could be seen.

"Kensuke!"

The voice was distant, dulled by the deathly _emptiness_ that existed here within the Seal, but the impact it left was sharper than swords.

Kensuke.

His name, as given by the brat, Naruto. He hated it, having a _name_. He was–

He was Biju.

The boy– _no_ , he thought, _Kyuubi_. He was Kyuubi, and Kyuubi was stronger than this. How _dare_ that beast believe itself to be him! The only resemblance it had to Kyuubi was in visage only, and that would soon be a fleeting memory. He knew how to play the game now, and nothing could stop him.

"What _I_ comprehend and what _you_ comprehend are vastly different things." Kyuubi stated, looking up at the beast in disdain. "Insofar that a heathen beast such as you can even be capable of being compared to a god such as I, at least."

The fight (if it could even be called one) was entirely different, now that Kyuubi knew the rules. He just needed to get back his chakra. And he would win it back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nympholepsy: a psychology term describing a state of violent emotion, especially associated with a desire for something one cannot have.


	10. Protect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conclusion, but not an end.

Kyuubi jumped forward, ignoring the brat as he approached to the two in battle. The brat would know as soon as he was close enough that his presence was neither wanted nor needed. The beast snarled, whipping one of its' tails at him.

" **You are weak!** " The beast shrieked as Kyuubi jumped up to meet the tail, using both hands to latch onto the chakra and fling himself out of the way as a second and third tail moved to intercept him. " **You are nothing but a pathetic human deluding himself into believing you stand equal to me!** "

"I am no human." Kyuubi stated, flicking his wrists and snapping the ropes of chakra, absorbing them before landing on and running along one of the beast's tails. "And you are no Biju."

Kyuubi reached the base of the tail, but kept running, letting his hands hang low and drag along the coarse fur of the beast, making as much contact with the beast's stolen chakra as possible. Behind him, ripples swam along the shimmering chakra skin of the beast as Kyuubi ran up the beast's spine. He was met with resistance the further up the spine he went, having gotten a massive amount of chakra connected to his hands. As soon as he reached the base of the beast's head, Kyuubi used it as a kick-off point, flying into the air. With him was a clear outline of the beast he had just jumped away from. Victory was at hand.

"NO!"

Naruto's voice drew his attention to the chakra outline, which had begun turning a dull, dead black-red like before.

_Fuck!_

Kyuubi twisted in the air, severing his connection to the beast before the black-red mass of hatred could reach him.

At the very moment he did that, one of the beast's tails slammed into him from the side, sending him flying towards the hysterical blond. He hit the ground hard, skidding along the black surface and past Naruto, whose eyes followed the red-head's movement with fear.

"Kensuke!" Naruto said, moving to stand over Kyuubi. "How are you here? We need to get out, there's something wrong with the Seal–"

"Shut up you imbecile!" Kyuubi interrupted. " _I_ am what's wrong with the Seal! This is my fight to return to my true form!"

"What..." The shock, the betrayal, was clear on Naruto's face, and Kyuubi felt his gut twist for hurting the boy like that. But it was necessary; Kyuubi would soon return to his old body, and the brat will die as a result, so it had to be done.

There was movement behind Naruto, and the beast's face was contorted into a perverse glee as it moved to crush Naruto under one of its' paws.

_NO!_

If Naruto died, then the Seal would finish the work of the Yondaime, and Kyuubi would die, sent to join the other half of his power in the afterlife. As the shadow of the beast's paw came down on them, Kyuubi launched himself forward, slamming into Naruto and pushing him out of the way. It didn't matter what happened to him – he would survive no matter what, but Naruto's continued survival was more important. Without the boy, the Kyuubi no Kitsune was no more.

* * *

 

Naruto watched in horror as Kensuke was crushed beneath the Kyuubi's paw. The giant hand-like appendage had suddenly appeared above Naruto, and was about to crush the boy when Kensuke had pushed him out of the way, taking the hit meant for him.

" **How droll.** " The Kyuubi spoke, thought Naruto barely heard it over his own thundering heartbeat. " **The parasite tried to protect you. But in the end, it doesn't matter– I will kill you irregardless.** "

Naruto's eyes flicked to the side, away from the paw crushing Kensuke into the ground in time to see countless massive teeth, yellowed with sharp points and coated in gobs of saliva, snap towards him. He shrieked, and a half-remembered memory of Sasuke being pushed away from a tree, leaving a foot-shaped indentation pushed its' way to the forefront of his mind. Without a second to spare, Naruto charged as much chakra as he could into his legs and out of his feet. The sudden expulsion of so much chakra sent him flying backwards, out of the reach of the massive jaws of the Kyuubi– for now. He crashed and skidded along the black expanse, holding his injured arm close to his body as the pain it got from bouncing against the ground repeatedly added to the intense fire that had burned out from his navel and into every cell of his body.

"Cr–" Naruto fell down, shuddering as a fit of hacking, wet coughing overtook him. Once the pain subsided enough for him to move, Naruto moved his left hand up to wipe away the wetness at the edges of his lips, he blinked through the tears to see that it was blood that was lining his mouth, not spit. "'S not good." He dazedly said, his words slurred by the warm, metallic-tasting liquid in his mouth. Swirling his tongue, the mixture of blood and spit was gathered to the forefront of his mouth and swiftly removed. "Much better."

In less than a second, Naruto was crouched low to the ground, his entire body weight supported by the tips of his fingers and toes, ready to move in a split-second if need be.

But there was no attack. No Kyuubi there to mock and demean him. Instead, it was...

Back with Kensuke.

Kensuke, who had only recently gotten hold of his chakra.

Kensuke, who was obsessed with returning to the Biju he had once been.

Kensuke, who was now being crushed by the Kyuubi and was who-knew-how-long until dying.

He needed to be saved.

But how? Naruto couldn't use his chakra without hurting himself, and even if he could, it still weakened the chakra umbilical connecting him with Kensuke.

Weakened, but did not sever. This single thought gave Naruto hope, that if he was really careful in his use of chakra, he could totally save Kensuke and get the both of them out of the Seal so it could be fixed.

His eyes hardened in determination as he ground his teeth together and forced his right hand into the correct hand-seal. He had only one shot at this, and failure meant death, both his own and Kensuke's.

 _Shadow Clone Jutsu_...

In a loud, brilliant display of smoke, a dozen Narutos appeared, each of them just as shimmery and translucent as the original. Without a word, they took off towards the Kyuubi, already knowing the plan.

As they ran closer to the massive Biju, three Narutos broke away from the group, moving to circle around behind the immense creature, while the remaining nine broke off into pairs, moving towards the snarling head.

The trio that had broken off moved laterally along the ground until they reached the ever-shifting tails. It was here that they hesitated, unsure if what they were about to do would even work – Naruto had only recently learned it, and even then had never had to use it on anything besides a tree, nor had he ever done it in battle.

One by one, their feet began to emit a dull blue glow, as though they were on fire, and they crouched down before springing up, their hands also emitting the ethereal fire as they latched onto different parts of Kyuubi – one had landed on one of the tails and was gripping it like a drowning man to driftwood, while the other two had managed to place themselves on one of Kyuubi's legs and the base of the tails, respectively.

Meanwhile, the remaining Narutos kept together, moving into Kyuubi's line of vision. The Biju was in the midst of raising its paw in the air, angling the razor-sharp claws downwards at–

Within the group of clones, the real Naruto's eyes widened in horror, and he let out a gasp. There, a bloodied mess on the black 'ground', was Kensuke.

" **Now to put an end to this foolishness.** " Kyuubi snarled, its' mouth twisted into a grotesque demonic grin with massive globs of saliva flying from its mouth as it tensed up to strike.

_No!_

Back with the trio of clones, the one clinging to one of the Biju's tails was slammed into another tail as they brushed against each other. He was dispelled by the action, but the contact had already been enough, and in his place was a rope of chakra that strung both tails together for a brief moment before it snapped and was absorbed by both tails. Both remaining clones made eye contact before the one on Kyuubi's leg made a fist and pulled it as far back as he could get it before slamming it as fast and as hard as he could into the Biju's leg, his entire form translucent and fist ablaze with as much chakra he could put into it without dispelling himself.

There was a rippling shudder from the point of impact that spread throughout the entire form of the Biju, not to dissimilar to when a bowl of gelatin is slapped with a spoon. Kyuubi's head twisted, appearing to turn around fully as it searched for the source of the disturbance, its' paw lowering to the ground to stabilize it and give it the balance necessary to attack. When it saw the transparent Naruto pulling a fist that had a chakra-shadow of its' leg attached to it, any intelligence it might have held was ignored in favor of instinct.

The clone barely had time to consider it's actions before it was crushed in Kyuubi's jaws, the upper body twisted at an impossible angle. Instead of exploding into a plume of smoke it, like the clone on the tail, dissolved into a mass of gelatinous chakra that slid down and coated the Biju's teeth, giving them an unnatural crimson gleam and the appearance of a blood-stained mouth.

The group of Narutos had taken the time bought by the distraction to reach the bloodied mass that was Kensuke, with the original crouched down next to the injured Biju-turned-human and the rest circling around the two, gazes fixed upon the Biju they were almost literally right on top of.

The original Naruto's gaze, however, was fixed firmly upon the prone Kensuke before him. The red-head was laying on his stomach in the middle of a puddle of blood, his chest barely moving and his eyes half-lidded and glassy. The boy's clothes were soaked and clinging to his skin, and Naruto had no idea where to start in helping Kensuke, or even _how_ to help him. He reached forward with his uninjured arm, which sported a shaking, unsteady hand, before pulling it back and into himself a hair's breadth away from making contact. His own breathing was short and ragged, and he was seconds away from breaking down.

Naruto had never dealt with an injury like this before, either on himself or on another person. The closest he had ever come was with Sasuke on the bridge in the Land of Waves, but even then...

No. He could do this. He had sworn a blood oath never to be useless in battle ever again, and Naruto was dangerously close to breaking that vow.

He glanced back at the clones, nodded to them to start the plan, before he threw all caution to the wind and ignored that small part of his mind that screamed at him to _not touch_ Kensuke, and picked up the injured red-head. There was a harsh rattling sound that came out of the boy's mouth as Naruto hefted him over one shoulder – carefully, so that he didn't upset his own injury and leave them both lying on the ground next to the most powerful of the Biju – that Naruto realized with a jolt was Kensuke's best attempt at screaming.

"I'm sorry." He apologized, his own panic creeping into his voice as the clones around him began to pair off, half transforming into a copy of the barely conscious red-head that were picked up by the Narutos and carried every which way. He nodded to himself, shifting his hold on his injured friend – and murmuring another apology – before moving towards the gate in the distance. Everything else didn't matter; getting to the gate, getting Kensuke out of reach of Kyuubi and safe, that was the only thing that mattered. He didn't look back.

Not when a chill ran down his spine and the ghost feeling of being crushed to death emanated from his entire being, and he _knew_ that the last of the trio of clones sent to garner the Biju's attention had just been dispelled.

Not when similar feelings of being crushed ran down his spine, and he heard the distant screams of his clones as they were dispelled.

Not even when he heard the loud metal-on-metal screeching that was Kyuubi roaring at him.

Naruto didn't look back because he knew, as deeply as he knew that Kensuke was so much more than the Biju he had once been, that if he looked back, he would hesitate; his body would stop moving out of fear, and the both of them would be killed.

" **Irritating insects!** " The Biju screeched, and the whole of the black realm that existed behind the Seal shuddered as the beast started moving towards them. " **I will eradicate you from existence!** "

Naruto, in response, ran faster, hooking his arm around Kensuke's torso and pinching the boy between his arm and head, coating both in the blood covering the red-head. He could barely hear anything over the pounding of his own heart; couldn't see very out to his left because of how he was holding Kensuke; and wasn't even sure they were getting any closer to the Seal because why wasn't it getting any larger it was so massive all those times he'd seen it before and was he even moving still because no matter how fast or how hard he pushed himself the gate wasn't getting any closer and _where was Kyuubi_ –

And then he was at the gate, launching his entire being at the gate, the Seal, hoping – _praying with all his might_ – that whatever mysterious force that had kept him out would kick in and _help him goddammit_!

There was a moment where he flew through the air, and nothing was happening, that Naruto began to doubt that whatever protective measures the Yondaime had placed on the Seal could help anything getting out as much as it prevented anyone going in, before he felt the arms wrap around him and carry him through the bars of the Seal. They set Naruto down just outside the gate and he could feel his hold on Kensuke loosening as he scrambled to his knees to make sure his friend was still breathing, still alive. Behind him, the gate became alive, crackling with energy as it repelled the Biju back into the deepest depths of the empty realm of the Seal.

Naruto laid his head above Kensuke's chest, feeling the bloodied shirt cling to his skin as he gently pressed his ear against it. He kept praying for some sign that his friend was still alive, because if he wasn't, if Kensuke had died...

 _Don't be dead don't be dead don't be dead don't be_ –

The seconds ticked past, and Naruto heard naught but silence, until...

_Thump-thump._

"He's alive. Kensuke's alive." He choked out when he finally caught the faint thump-thump of a heartbeat, and it felt like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders as soon as he said that, and he could finally relax and calm down enough to take stock of the situation. "He needs help. Medical help."

It was a longshot, Naruto figured, that whatever – or _whoever_ – the protective entity of the Seal was would help heal Kensuke. He ran a bloodied hand through equally bloodied hair, staining his head fully red, and his mind dismissed the flash of red out of the corner of his eye as the blood dripping down his arm. He had no idea what to do; he was a fighter, not a healer – that was something better suited towards doctors or that weird quiet girl from his Academy class – Hinata or something. His broken arm started throbbing as soon as his heart calmed down enough, and Naruto glared at it. He hated that ever since Kensuke had appeared his healing had slowed to a crawl, what with every spare bit of chakra he had going towards that umbilical... thing...

_That it!_

His chakra was being used as a substitute for Kensuke's own until the red-head could build up his own reserves. If Naruto's own large chakra reserves meant he healed fast, then if he pushed everything he had into Kensuke...

It was a longshot as well, but one that Naruto was willing to put his life on the line for. He had to keep Kensuke alive and safe. He _had_ to.

Naruto pressed both of his hands together, and used his left hand's grip on his right hand to guide both towards Kensuke's stomach, channeling as much chakra as he can into and down into the broken boy laying before him.

At first nothing happened, and Naruto began to panic that maybe he'd been wrong and it wasn't his chakra that was the cause of his rapid healing and Kensuke was _dying_ in front of him–

And then there was a cough, a short, wet inhalation and more coughing, and Naruto was undone. He blinked back tears as he kept his right hand pressed against Kensuke's stomach as Naruto awkwardly turned his friend's head to the side so that any blood in his mouth could be safely drained. He propped the boy's head on his lap and increased the flow of chakra into his right hand, ignoring the burning and stinging he got from his hand in response; Kensuke was _alive_ , he wasn't dying and wouldn't be dying for a very long time if Naruto had anything to say about it.

Naruto didn't notice that he'd begun to thread his fingers through Kensuke's hair, at least not until the red-head began to stir. His eyes were barely opened, but what little Naruto could see of the amber eyes, they were no less glassy than they had been earlier, and Kensuke was reaching a shaky hand up to touch his face. He seemed to almost say something, his lips forming the words but no sound was coming out, and his throat was convulsively swallowing every few seconds.

"It's alright." Naruto's voice was soft, and held much too much concern for the friend before him than he was fully comfortable displaying. "You don't have to say anything."

Even though Kensuke nodded and closed his mouth, he still looked like he wanted to say something. It was several seconds of the two just laying there in silence, and Naruto had begun to stroke the red-head's scalp once more when Kensuke opened his mouth once more.

"...sorry." He convulsively swallowed several times before continuing. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Naruto wasn't entirely sure if Kensuke knew who he was talking to, and was beginning to wonder if the boy even knew what he was saying when he replied.

"For over–" More swallowing. "Overreacting." A pause, and Naruto was starting to feel like he was paying audience to something that he shouldn't be seeing, or even know about. "For not–" More swallowing, and it only served to increase the sense of _wrong_ that Naruto felt by being there. "Not saying goodbye."

"It – it's fine." Naruto replied, his barely a whisper. "I understand why you didn't."

He didn't, but a feeling in his gut (and this faint whisper in the furthest reaches of his mind, like an echo on the wind) told him that this was the best response to give.

"I'm sorry." Kensuke said again, and Naruto twisted his grimace into a smile, hoping that it wasn't too obvious to the red-head. This was something much to personal to the Biju-turned-human that Naruto felt like he shouldn't be present for an apology that clearly wasn't directed at him.

"Don't be." He tried to go the compassionate route, hoping to bring an end to this horribly awkward conversation. "What's there to be sorry about?"

Kensuke was silent, and Naruto hoped – _prayed_ to every deity he could think of – that that was it, and they could figure out how to get out of Naruto's mind, when...

"I love you." Kensuke said, and Naruto's heart constricted in his chest, a lead ball forming around it as the rest of his internal organs felt like they had vanished. Kensuke had _not_ just told Naruto he loved – "Mito."

And then the lead ball dropped to the pit of his stomach, and with it left a sharp pain in Naruto's heart that he couldn't – _didn't want to_ – identify.

Kensuke was waiting for a response, though, so Naruto just nodded jerkily and kept running his hand through the red hair, although if his movements seemed much too stiff and forced, neither of them had noticed or cared.

"We – we should get you out of here." Naruto finally said when he felt certain that he could speak again without letting the other boy know what was going on inside his head (he idly noted that that was a horrible joke to make, intentional or not, considering just _where_ the two of them were). "Get you back to your own body."

For a moment Naruto was worried that Kensuke might still mistake the blond for this 'Mito' person, but was pulled out of his thoughts when the red-head in question replied.

"The umbilical." He rasped out, the red-head's voice hoarse. "Follow the current. There's a waterfall."

_The current? What current?_

It took a second, but Naruto remembered when the gravity had vanished the second time, and he'd been left floating along in the water that coated the floor, being pushed down the corridor by a small, slow-moving current.

"I need you to be strong." He told the red-head, his voice much more detached and colder than he'd intended it to be. "I can't carry you the whole way. You need to lean on me. Try to walk. Can you do that?"

Kensuke seemed to get more lucid with each passing second, because he slowly nodded his head and started to push himself into a sitting position before wincing in pain and nearly falling down on his back. Naruto intervened, however, and they were soon leaning on each other as they moved down the dark hallway towards the larger corridor and away from the beast that lay forgotten behind the gate of the Seal.

They walked in silence. Naruto because he had no idea how to react to Kensuke stating his love for Mito, whoever that was. Kensuke because he was tired and wanted to just get out of this foreign mind and back to his own body so he could rest. The seconds weighed heavily on the both of them with each step they took, moving in the direction Naruto remembered the current heading towards. More than once he'd had to pull a string out of his shirt and let it fall into the water to figure out whether the current had changed or if they were still heading towards this waterfall Kensuke had mentioned.

What felt like hours later, they had finally reached the waterfall Kensuke had talked about, and were standing several meters away from it. The water had deepened until they were moving through a waist-deep current of water. Neither had spoken a word, but Naruto suspected that Kensuke was getting more lucid the closer to the waterfall they got. He hadn't mentioned either Naruto or 'Mito', so the blond took it as a good thing.

"How does this work?" He finally asked, listening to the steady trickle of water as it fell down what he figured was what his mind pictured the chakra umbilical as. "Do you just let the current carry you over or..."

"Yes." Kensuke replied, steadfastly avoiding looking at the blond. He pulled away from Naruto and took several steps forward before stopping and calling back over his shoulder. "I do not know what I said to you in my delirium, but it would be best for the both of us for you to disregard it entirely."

Naruto didn't know how to respond to that, and was halfway through nodding his answer silently before he stuttered out his own agreement. Kensuke waited a second before nodding to himself and continuing on his way, content with the lie they were telling themselves.

Naruto wasn't content with lying to himself, and had no intention of forgetting or disregarding what Kensuke had said. Whoever this Mito person was, has apparently garnered the love of Kensuke back when he was Kyuubi, and Naruto wouldn't rest until he knew who Mito was.

And so he watched silently as the red-head shuffled over to the edge of the waterfall, and let himself fall over the side just as the trickling stopped.

The chakra umbilical had severed, and Naruto was left alone in his mind, watching as the empty white nothing from beyond the waterfall changed into more of the corridor, and the water level lowered until it barely covered the soles of his sandals, like the rest of the corridor behind him and in front of him.

He was left along with his thoughts, and the faint echoes of the mysterious pain that had gripped his heart when Kensuke had said he loved Mito.

Why did that simple phrase hurt Naruto so much?


	11. Identity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath is a question of identity.

Consciousness came to him slowly, like the slow ebb of the tide as he became more and more aware of the world around him at the speed of thought. The very first of his senses he became aware of was touch, and what he felt was that he was laying atop a tough object that was considerably much less comfortable than his bed, under a soft blanket that ghosted over his body and retained any heat he gave off. His right arm stung, and he felt a phantom pain all over his entire body, like he had been gravely injured, but was perfectly fine moments later and the rest of him was waiting to be informed of the sudden change in health. Curled around his wrists and ankles were soft cylindrical objects that appeared to be compressing against his skin as much as they weren't, and prevented him from moving much, if at all.

"So you are awake then?" The voice of an elderly man, one which he recognized, though he could not immediately place a person to the voice. "Kensuke, wasn't it? Well, Kensuke, I do believe we have much to discuss, you and I."

Kyuubi ( _was he Kyuubi?_ ) opened his eyes, but the blinding painfully bright _white_ was too much for his sight to handle, and he squeezed his eyelids as tightly shut as they could get. Wherever he was, it was not his room at the wood cottage.

"This is the hospital. A place of healing." The aggravatingly familiar voice spoke again, and Kyuubi ( _Kensuke? Which was he?_ ) opened his eyes again, much slower this time, letting the elderly face of the Sandaime Hokage come into focus in the far-too-plain room.

Except it wasn't just him. The Wood User was standing to the side, his presence clear despite the mask covering his face, and beside him was the strange man with the red lines running down his face – Jiraiya, if he remembered right.

"I don't suppose we can converse at a time more suited to my tastes, then." Kyuubi ( _or was it Kensuke_ ) sighed, putting his weight on his arms as he shifted into a more upright position.

"This is not something which can be delayed." The Hokage stated ominously. "Three days ago Naruto collapsed in excruciating pain from an unknown attack upon the Seal. You were found in your given room, but were disturbingly unresponsive. Shortly after the both of you were transferred here, to Konoha General, the chakra umbilical connecting you to Naruto snapped, leaving the both of you comatose from that point on. Naruto has already woken up and provided his version of events, so if you would be so kind as to explain yours, I may find the leniency to spare you from a potentially untimely death."

Oh.

This was... unexpected, to say the least. Kyuubi hadn't considered failure as any sort of possibility in his planning (a fallacy he should have planned for all along, considering the outcome of events), so his continued existence as a human had never been given any sort of thought.

"I... failed." The truth would be the best route to go to ensure his continued survival. No matter how much it _hurt_ to state the failure aloud, it needed to be done. "I attempted to return to my original body. Suffice to say, I failed."

"And what, precisely, was your plan?" Jiraiya spoke up with a respectful nod towards the Hokage.

"The umbilical." Kyuubi stated, avoiding looking at any of them as memories flowed through his mind. "I was able to backtrack it to the source, and returned to the Seal. I briefly engaged the... the beast in guerrilla combat, maintaining an equally brief stalemate until..." He wondered what he should say about what came after, but decided to follow up with something simple. "I failed."

"Forgive me if your explanation does little to assuage me of my doubts." The Hokage gravely replied. "I asked you to persuade me against ending your life, so... persuade me."

"I.. am human now." He spoke slowly, deliberately. A single misstep at this point would kill him. "And human I shall forever be." The trio did not look at all convinced. "My earliest memory that I firmly know was mine own and not created from the miasma of malice that bore me was a... lacking, in my existence. I killed countless beings, and reshaped the very earth and heavens into what you see today, but there was no satisfaction, no purpose. It wasn't until I was Sealed within Uzumaki Mito that I began to learn about and question the purpose of my existence. Mito... she was the very first being I could confidently say I trusted implicitly. The first person I would and could call..." He paused, trying to remember what to call how he felt towards Mito. "friend. She believed that there was more to me than being a creature of destruction. For many decades, she educated me on humans and their indomitable ability to _create_. I suppose I was jealous, if you could attribute such feelings to a creature composed entirely of what you call chakra, but... I do not look back on those times and regret my actions, nor am I one to look towards the future, but I do know this." He paused, steeling himself for his next words. "I am starting to believe that this is what Mito was talking about, when speaking of finding my purpose in life. Perhaps she meant that I was always meant to become human, and live as humans do."

None of the three said anything, but the Hokage had a strange, almost pensive look upon his face. With a sharp look, Kyuubi ( _Kensuke_ , he reminded himself) watched from the corner of his eye as Jiraiya and the Wood User left, leaving the Hokage alone with him.

"A Shinobi's purpose in life is one of death, ether that of others or of one's own. I have never heard of a Shinobi who did not die in service of either his or her village or country." The Hokage began, and Kyuu-Kensuke was at a loss as he tried to understand the point the elderly Shinobi was making. "There is almost no one living within a Hidden Village who does not serve some manner of purpose, either as family to one of the Shinobi or as a client. We do not seek higher meaning to our lives, accepting our role as deadly warriors at our nation's beck and call. To hear you, a highly intelligent, independent being borne from a Biju, speak of seeking a greater purpose than death and destruction, two things which are the staples of Shinobi life, is... humbling. Perhaps it is my need to see that this world I leave behind after my passing is safe from war, but I find myself sympathizing with your plight. At my age, it is rare to be surprised or convinced otherwise in my decisions, but I will rescind your death order."

Well, that was most unexpected. Kyuubi ( _Kensuke_ ) had expected a much more difficult challenge in convincing the Hokage of sparing his life, but he wasn't about to start questioning the elderly Shinobi's decisions anytime soon.

"Thank you, Hokage." He decided to say in lieu of a more substantial response. "Ah, you mentioned Naruto was awake. He is... well, yes?"

"Naruto was largely unaffected once the umbilical had snapped and the Seal was no longer under duress." The Hokage replied, the corners of his lips twitching in amusement. "He is, ah, healing slower than usual, but that is not quite as unusual as it had been, now that your presence is no longer held within him."

Kyuubi ( _Kensuke, Kensuke, Kensuke!_ ) broke eye contact with the Hokage, unsure about what he should be feeling towards Naruto – or about anything, really.

"I..." He began, confusion heavy in his voice. "I don't know what to do now; what to think, what to... I just don't know what happens now."

He didn't know what it was about the Hokage the made him divulge that much, but Kyuu-Kensuke needed to speak to someone, to find someone he felt was trustworthy enough to display his vulnerabilities to.

"Perhaps you should remain with Naruto, if only to give you some stability in this no-doubt tumultuous time." The Hokage acceded, before Kyuu-Kensuke was frozen on the spot under a dark gaze so intense it was like a crushing force upon his body. "But should my faith in you be misplaced in any capacity, know that I can very easily have you... removed from Naruto's life."

Kyuu-Kensuke's nod was so quick and wide-eyed that the Hokage burst out laughing.

* * *

 

Naruto lay on the hospital bed staring at the glaringly white ceiling for what felt like an eternity, waiting for _something_ , anything to happen, to break the monotony. After Old Man Hokage had left, Naruto had been stuck staring at the ceiling counting each of the cracks and chips (twenty-seven and thirty-four, respectively), and then checking to confirm, and then rechecking, and then checking again. It was getting to the point that Naruto was starting to wonder if maybe he had been trapped in some sort of evil Genjutsu that left him forever counting every little imperfection in the ceiling to the point where he could identify them by their location and unique characteristics.

And then the door opened. The sudden break in monotony was enough to cause Naruto's head to twist towards the door with such speed that the bones in his neck gave an unsettling cracking noise in protest. Naruto watched, his heart pounding against his ribs, as a hand curled around the edge of the door, pulling it completely open, revealing...

"Sasuke, you're alive!" Naruto paused, considering all the possible options. "Or... I'm dead!"

"You're not dead Naruto, and neither is Sasuke." Kakashi-Sensei's lilting voice preceding the man into the room. "Didn't the Sandaime inform you of everything that happened on the mission after..."

Naruto blinked, trying to recall having been told anything of the sort, but drew a complete blank.

"Uh... no." He answered honestly. "There was a lot going on at the time, because of Kensuke."

"Kensuke?" Any other time, Naruto would have loved the attention Sakura gave him, but with how much his pride was stung by the agonizingly _slow_ pace at which he was healing, he really just wanted to be out of the spotlight. At least until he was back at his best. "Is that the boy that..."

"It's..." Naruto tried to think of the best way to explain. "Complicated."

"Complicated." Sasuke blandly echoed.

"Well, yeah." Naruto shrugged – then winced as the movement aggravated his sore muscles. "There's a buncha technical medical stuff involved, you wouldn't understand."

"And you... do?" Naruto didn't find Sakura's uncertainty in his knowledge very nice, or trusting.

"Yes." Really, why did everyone think that he couldn't understand everything that he was told? "But I don't know if I can tell you."

"Ah, sometimes medical facts should be better learned from trained professionals." Kakashi-Sensei helpfully chimed in, forestalling any further questions from Sasuke and Sakura. "Perhaps we should leave Naruto be. He _is_ still recuperating."

"But what about Kensuke?!" Sakura protested. "Who is he? Where did he come from? Why–"

"Sakura." Kakashi-Sensei's tone was sharp and final. Naruto knew there would be no response, only resigned obedience. Naruto watched as his team left with mumbled apologies and platitudes, while Kakashi-Sensei lagged behind. "And Naruto? I will be returning later for full disclosure."

"Old Man Sandaime can explain it better than I ever could." Naruto called back at the retreating back of his Sensei. When there was no reply, he huffed and yelled out a begrudging goodbye, returning to his recounting of the cracks in the ceiling. His mind wandered, memories of the incident with the Seal floating to the forefront, specifically the moment after Kensuke was rescued from the Kyuubi.

" _I love you... Mito."_

What did Kensuke mean? Why was there a declaration of love? Kensuke (as Naruto had repeatedly been told over the past two weeks) used to be the Biju Kyuubi before becoming human, and so there was literally _no one_ that he was supposed to have gotten close enough to, to declare his love for them, right?

Right?

Not that Naruto was _bothered_ by the declaration of love, not at all. He was just... concerned, was all. Kensuke was an important part of Naruto's life, in a way – and not just because they were connected by the umbilical thing like a pregnant mother and unborn baby (which was something Naruto _really_ didn't want to think about. _Ever._ ) – and to know that Kensuke probably didn't like him like everyone else did, hurt far worse than anything ever had. That there was someone in Kensuke's life that he'd loved, and Naruto had never met or heard of, meant that this Mito person was someone from before Naruto's time – which didn't make any sense. Kensuke didn't know how to interact with people (not that Naruto was any better, but that wasn't the point), and as far as Naruto knew, the Biju-turned-human had no interaction with humans before that attack on Konoha over twelve years ago.

_So who is Mito?_

It was an irritating question, pecking at him bit by bit with its mystery in the face of Naruto's complete lack of knowledge about anything concerning Kensuke's life. He'd thought he'd known everything there was to know about Kensuke's life before becoming human, but he was wrong.

With a sigh, Naruto laid his head back against the pillow, resigned to staring at the ceiling. Again. And left in the silence of the too-white hospital room, Naruto's thoughts kept circling back to Kensuke, the words he said back then, and that heavy emptiness that pervaded his stomach and made him feel ill every time he remembered them. He was familiar with what it was, to an extent – his every memory involving someone from the village for as long as he could remember was filled with memories of empty promises of comfort and love. It was a mixture of disappointment and anger, almost but not quite hopelessness, more like... rejection.

But why? Why did he feel that way? He barely liked Kensuke, didn't he? Sure, he'd felt worried when the red-head had been carted off into his own room at the cabin by the creepy guy with all the scars on his face, but that was just because Kensuke was a _civilian_. All academy recruits were taught to act as normal and non-scary as possible in the presence of civilians, since the ability to manipulate chakra was amazingly rare outside of a Hidden Village, and until Kensuke had been led into his room by that guy, Morino something-or-other, Naruto hadn't taken it into consideration. He'd been worried, yes, but not to the extent that Inoichi had stated (and _how_ that scarily smart, imposing man had been born into the same family as that airheaded Ino from his old academy class was beyond him). After all, Kensuke was human now, and Naruto hadn't known the guy back when he was the (not) scary tailed beast, and he just seemed so lost and unused to certain things that it wasn't all that hard to find himself seeing the red-head imitating him on some things.

It was... endearing, almost, to see himself in the way Kensuke did things. Endearing, and terrifying. It seemed that half of the way the red-head interacted with others reminded Naruto far too much of how he himself acted, and to call it eyeopening was an understatement. Naruto was made entirely too aware of how he acted, both before and after graduating, and it was... unsettling. They both had heard what anyone talking to them had to say, but completely ignored the advice in favor of just doing what they wanted, regardless of what anyone said otherwise. It was like looking into a mirror, only the image reflected was capable (and _willing_ ) to listen to what Naruto had to say, and heeded his advice more than anyone else.

That amount of attention and... dependence? Naruto blinked, a wave of realization crashing against the inside of his skull before it started to really sink in. Kensuke was dependent upon Naruto, to the point where he only trusted the blond preteen for advice and to teach him anything about being human.

But why? Why trust _Naruto_ , the living, breathing jail the red-head had been trapped within for almost thirteen years?

Or maybe it was _because_ Naruto had been the only one Kensuke had had any sort of interaction with that he trusted the blond so much. Kensuke didn't seem to have had much, if any, contact with humans before the attack on Konoha ( _except for Mito_ , his mind rebelliously reminded him), so maybe he was just clinging to what was familiar to him. And if that was the case, then that meant that Naruto was responsible for Kensuke, and _had_ to care for the red-head.

But that didn't explain why he cared before, or why he felt like caring for Kensuke was more than just upholding a sense of duty. Did that mean that Naruto actually _liked_ Kensuke, however much he'd convinced himself otherwise?

With a sigh, he went back to tracing the cracks in the ceiling with his eyes, resigned to waiting until one of the nurses came by on their rounds to request a visitor.

Inoichi had known all along what Naruto was feeling towards Kensuke, and now was the time for answers to something he should have known all along.

* * *

 

_Who am I?_

It was such a simple question, so simple and easy that he should have answered it by now. But he didn't, because with the question came another, far harder one to answer.

_What am I?_

He was not Biju, not anymore, and he was starting to doubt that he'd ever really been Biju, if the new consciousness that his (former) body had developed was any indication. The... Kyuubi held within Naruto was far too violent to have ever been a part of him, as he had never gone out of his way to kill or maim on a whim. But... to be called Kyuubi, meant that he was destruction incarnate – which he wasn't. Not anymore.

And if he was not Kyuubi, then did that make him Kensuke?

The elderly Hokage had left some time ago, leaving Kyuu-Kensuke to his thoughts. Thoughts that kept circling around the question he could not answer: _Who am I?_

He was not Biju, that was obvious, so did that mean that he was (and it still felt like an insult to be called one) human? He didn't know.

Biju destroyed everything. He could not fully understand (or even appreciate) that fact until he was looking back at the incident within the Seal, where he was standing, the size of a young human, before his former body, one which held the power to level mountains or carve impossible scars on the face of the earth. It was pure, raw _power_ , and he could only remember it with something that he'd only ever felt twice before in all his existence: fear. Fear that permeated deep within him, settling in the deepest depths of his bones and filling him with an unbelievable sense of finiteness. There he had stood, mortal and oh-so-small, against a towering godlike being millennia old, and had felt and understood fear. On a deep, primal level he almost felt a sense of having witnessed a deity. One so great and powerful that he could not help but feel a need to drop to his knees and pray that it be merciful.

Was this what the entirety of Konoha felt whenever they'd laid eyes on Mito (and, more recently, Naruto)? That here was a person who held the power of a god within them, and could draw on its almighty power on a whim? He'd known that the majority of the village had avoided Mito (and, to a far greater extent, Naruto), but it had never bothered him before, because neither Mito nor Naruto had shown any sort of effect of this ostracism. Would they feel that same thing when looking at him, now that he was–

Now that he was... what? Human? He didn't feel very human. Biju? That thought was ridiculous. He didn't have any modicum of the power he had once had in his former body, and he could barely use chakra. So...

_Who am I?_

Kyuubi or Kensuke?

_What am I?_

Biju or human?

What did it mean to be Biju? What did it mean to be human?

What was his purpose, now? Mito had always said that he was destined for more than destruction, and had firmly believed that his purpose had yet to make itself clear. Perhaps, then, this was the underlying reason he couldn't find an answer to those two questions: the answer was the same as his purpose in existence. If that was true, then it meant that this was a chance – possibly the only chance he would ever get to answer the question that had plagued him for so many centuries.

_What is my purpose?_


	12. Perspective

Being in the hospital was... boring, Naruto decided. He couldn't do anything except lay there, since he couldn't really do much of anything else. Everything was sore, and he couldn't even exist without feeling something somewhere on his body hurt. It didn't help his pride that the medics were describing his symptoms, considering the situation, as being normal for woman after giving birth; their chakra systems had grown accustomed to having the second one there through the presence of the umbilical, and they needed time afterwards to have their Keirakukei readjust to the lack of a dependent chakra source.

"Congratulations!" Inoichi greeted him cheerfully hours after his team had left (If luck would have it, they would _never_ know of the umbilical). "I hear you're now the mother of a surly teenage boy. How is that?"

Naruto didn't have much of an appreciation of the joke (which is to say, he'd encountered dying plants with better senses of humor), and said as much to Inoichi, who only laughed in response.

"So you wanted to talk with me?" Naruto sighed and nodded in confirmation. "What do you need help with? Unwanted voice in your head?"

"I think I like someone, but they don't like me back." As soon as he'd blurted the words out, Inoichi's grin faded away.

"Oh. Uh, I don't- you probably shouldn't- I mean..." Inoichi floundered, and Naruto took his cue to continue before it was made any more awkward than it already was.

"I mean, I think I liked him before, but it was more of an annoying friend-liking than romantic-liking." Naruto paused at the strangled "Him?" that coughed its' way out of Inoichi's throat, and looked at him expectantly. "What I want to know is, what do I do if the... person I think I like, likes someone else?"

"Well," Inoichi coughed out, looking for all the world like he wanted to be anywhere else, doing _any_ thing else. "I'm sure that you and the Uchiha boy–"

" _No!_ " Naruto's shriek was uncomfortably high-pitched and squeaky. "No! No no, no, no. No. No." He coughed, trying _very hard_ to crush and repress the mental images that Inoichi had conjured. "Kensuke. It's... Kensuke. I _might_ , kinda, sorta, like him. In that way."

"Ah." And _oh_ , was it apparent how much Inoichi's entire being relaxed at the declaration, even though it had Naruto wound tighter than a drum and no less uncomfortable. "Well, if you _like_ him, then I, uh... You _do_ understand how sex works, right?" At Naruto's fervent nod (and could he just _feel_ how red his face was getting), Inoichi continued. "I don't really see what the problem is."

"Kensuke _loves_ someone else." Naruto had put emphasis on love to ensure Inoichi understood the problem. "And I shouldn't be having problems with that, because what do I care who he does or doesn't love, but I am. And who the heck is Mito?!"

"Ah, well, Mito was one of," Inoichi paused before checking that the door was closed, and nobody was heading this way. "Mito was Kyuubi's first Jinchuuriki. Uzumaki Mito. The Shodai's wife."

"Uzumaki?" That... that was strange. Naruto knew that his name had to come from somewhere, from some _one_ , but he hadn't ever considered the possibility that the family he imagined he'd once had actually _existed_. "Wait, previous Jinchuuriki? Shodai's _wife_?"

"In order: you're a distant relation, we've checked; yes, you aren't the first – actually, you're the third; and it wasn't uncommon at the time for Senju and Uzumaki to marry, considering how close the two were." Inoichi rattled off, quick to dispel any hope Naruto had of possibly finding family somewhere in Konoha. "And you say he loves her?"

" _He_ said, and I quote: 'I love you... Mito'." Naruto twitched as the words left his mouth. "But... I mean, the Shodai's wife? That mean's she's dead, right?" Inoichi silently nodded, and the younger blond continued. "So the problem kinda becomes... I like girls! ...I think. I don't–"

"Okay." Inoichi, Naruto realized with a sigh, was _finally_ understanding the problem. "So you like Kensuke, who might or might not like you back, and you're confused about it all." Naruto nodded, his head a flaming red, filled with embarrassment. "The problem you're having is that you thought you understood what your sexuality was, since you previously had an interest in your female teammate, only now you're interested in a boy and you don't know left from right anymore."

"Exactly!"

"Naruto, do you think you're the only boy who like another boy?" Cue confused blink. "Well, you aren't. See, sometimes it happens that a guy likes another guy, or that a girl likes another girl – yes, that happens too – and that's alright. More often it's that a guy likes a girl, and a girl likes a guy, and that's alright too. What matters is that you're happy with who you're with. And know that I'll always be proud of you no matter who you end up with."

"Uh... what?" _What's happening here?_ "Are you... was that the same thing you told Ino?"

"No!" Inoichi yelped, caught off-guard. "I just... it's easier to think of this a a parent-child thing than a doctor-patient thing, and that last bit's obligatory."

"So... you aren't proud of me?" Naruto didn't know why he cared, really, as Ino's dad was a cool enough guy – and he acted kinda like Naruto imagined his own dad would have acted – but that didn't mean that having Inoichi's approval was so important, right?

"Trust me, kid, anyone that's ever spent more than an hour in your presence is proud of you. And is proud to call you a... whatever you are to them." Here Inoichi reached out and patted Naruto's head. "You'll go far, kid. I can tell."

"Well I _am_ going to be Hokage." Naruto was surprised to find that he was almost _happy_ at hearing Inoichi say that about him. Happy and... confused.

"No one's ever given you praise before, have they?" Inoichi said sadly, and Naruto blinked, head cocking to the side.

"Praise? That's... when people say _good_ things about another person?" Naruto could honestly say he'd never had anyone do that towards him. If anyone ever did (which he doubted), he hadn't been around to hear it. After all, he was The ( _Kyuubi_ ) Brat; who had anything nice or good to say about him?

"Oh." Inoichi seemed to reach the same conclusion Naruto did, and the two sat in silence. "So... how are you healing? I imagine that was a pretty traumatic experience to go through."

"Not really." Naruto sighed and went back to staring at the ceiling he'd familiarized himself with. "But the gravity did get all weird, in here." He jerked his head, and then winced at the action.

"Well, that's normal. The mind and dreamscape are closely tied to reality through the body. Any shift in gravitational forces, such as freefall or sudden change in direction, affects how you perceive gravity within your mind." Inoichi waved it off, before turning serious. "I mean, how are you _really_ feeling?"

It was a loaded question, Naruto knew, but still one he had to answer.

"I feel like... everything's changing, now." At Inoichi's nod, he continued. "I mean, nothing's gonna be the same, since I can't heal as fast as I used to. And Kensuke. He's... I haven't seen him, since it happened, so I don't know, but I'm – I don't know if he's changed. I thought I knew him, but..."

"But now you're not so sure." Inoichi finished for him, and Naruto nodded. "Well, that happens. People grow up, and experience different things, and they change because of that. You aren't the same person you were when you were younger, are you?"

"No."

"Exactly!" Inoichi nodded with a smile. "And I didn't get to be the man I am today if I remained the same as I was when I was your age."

Naruto let out a shaky sight of relief, thanking the older man for his help when a thought occurred to him.

"Hey, d'you think I can visit Kensuke?"

* * *

Hospitals, he decided, were tedious. They were tedious and unnecessary and _completely_ irrelevant to his current problems.

Namely, his name.

He wasn't Kyuubi, not without all the implications that came with it; it was rather difficult to convince anyone to respect him without the size or power of all nine of ( _no longer_ ) his tails. Case in point were the doctors that came into his room, who merely laughed and nodded along, despite how obvious their condescension was. He _hated_ dishonesty with a passion. In his opinion, truth was much more satisfying. It was straightforward and absolute, something that held great power in the world and more value than even the most precious of metals. All beings had an absolute that they held as their truth.

But _his_ truth, his absolute... wasn't, anymore.

_I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune. I am Biju._

That had been truth, had been ( _he'd mistakenly thought_ ) absolute.

_I am human. I am–_

"Kensuke?"

"By all the gods." Kyuu-Kensuke groaned into his pillow. It didn't make Naruto leave, however. "Why on _earth_ did you come– is that a chair? With wheels?"

"Wheelchair." Naruto absently corrected as he wheeled into the room, a tall bleached-blonde man trailing behind. "And why _wouldn't_ I come?"

"Because neither of us actually _like_ the other?" Kyuu-Kensuke responded, the picture of innocence.

Naruto stared at Kyuu-Kensuke despairingly. "Yeah. Like that's gonna stop me from being friends with you. Because two weeks trapped in a cabin together haven't made us honorary friends."

"It does not." Kyuu-Kensuke stated resolutely.

"I saved your life!" Kyuu-Kensuke groaned into his pillow – or tried to, due to the straps that kept him bound to laying on his back.

"That means nothing. All the wounds I've healed for you over the years balance the scale." Naruto balked, before he drew an accusing finger at Kyuu-Kensuke.

"I _knew it_!" Kyuu-Kensuke blinked, looking from the finger to Naruto's face and back.

"...knew what?" His gaze moved to the mystery man that had come in with Naruto. "And who is this?"

Naruto was undeterred. "Inoichi, Kensuke. Kensuke, Inoichi. Now you know each other. More importantly, there's you and the fact that _you're_ the reason I don't sleep off injuries anymore."

"You don't?" Kyuu-Kensuke considered that fact. "Then the current me that resides within you is an even greater imbecile than I had anticipated."

"I have no idea what you just said, but, just... you."

Kyuu-Kensuke smiled, a little. "Me?"

"Yes. No." Naruto shook his head, likely clearing his thoughts. "Who is Mito? To you?"

Kyuu-Kensuke paled. "I don't know what you mean."

Naruto stared, undeterred. "Yeah, you do. You said that name. So who is Mito? What is that person to you?"

"No one. Mito is no one." The lie came easily to Kyuu-Kensuke, although Naruto was unbelieving. It felt odd, lying.

"You're a terrible liar." Naruto leaned forward in his wheelchair, wincing at the motion. "Try again. Who is Mito?"

"She's not important." Kyuu-Kensuke went with a half-truth this time. It was true enough, as Mito had no bearing on their current situation. "What is important is knowing when I can be free of this accursed bonds."

Inoichi opened his mouth to answer when Naruto interrupted. "That's an even worse lie."

"Fine!" Kensuke snapped. "She was a human that I once knew. She forcibly taught me many things about you humans. She _died_. Is that truth enough for you?"

Naruto hesitated, mulling the answer over, and Kyuu-Kensuke looked over at Inoichi expectantly. Sheepishly, Inoichi answered. "Ah, it will be a couple days until you're released from the restraints, let alone released from the hospital. Lord Sandaime has had to put aside your case for at least the next week. This pertains to you too, Naruto."

"Wait, wait. I'm stuck here too?!" Naruto looked betrayed, and Kyuu-Kensuke tried not to feel too smug about it. "Why?!"

Inoichi avoided Naruto's accusing gaze, and Kyuu-Kensuke's eyes narrowed. "Come now, the brat asked you a question. Given how much he's complained of you asking questions, turnabout certainly is fair play."

Inoichi snorted. "Alright fine. The Chunin Exams are happening, and this year Konoha is hosting. Shinobi from all sorts of foreign lands are coming into the village. As such, the eyes of the world are fixed upon Konoha, and Lord Sandaime."

"The Chunin Exams?" Naruto's face scrunched up, his head tilting in confusion and curiosity.

"The exams that determine whether a Genin – that's academy graduates like you, Naruto – is eligible for promotion to Chunin. Although the exact process is more complex than that, every six months the exams are held in one of the Hidden Villages." Inoichi explained. "At the start of every summer and winter, like clockwork, a different village hosts."

"All of the villages?" Kyuu-Kensuke inquired. "Does that include the other villages with a Kage?"

The question brought twin looks of confusion and curiosity from Naruto and Inoichi both. "Iwa, Kiri, and Kumo are not allied with Konoha, so they do not participate. The current exams were created at the last Gokage Summit, nearly thirty years ago, as an international affair instead of purely internal. It was with the idea of a public showing of a village's burgeoning – that means up-and-coming – Shinobi. A show of force. A village whose Shinobi put on a good show gets increased attention by the rest of the Elemental Nations; that Hidden Village finds it's funds are increased. More missions are coming in. Missions that would otherwise be going to another Hidden Village. The Genin that enter the Chunin Exams represent the power of their Hidden Village. For the duration of the exams, these participants are the face of their respective Hidden Villages."

"So why can't I get out of here already; I wanna participate!" Naruto whined, and Kyuu-Kensuke rolled his eyes.

"Let me guess the answer: the exams are beginning today?"

Inoichi sighed. "They started this morning. By now, the first exam should be over, and the second one starts any minute now. My daughter's team is participating; with luck, her team is part of those starting the second exam."

"So I can't join up?" Naruto frowned, his head shifting to hunch against his shoulders. The funk lasted for all of two seconds before the curiosity returned. "Oh! What about my team? Are they taking the exams? _Can_ they take the exams?"

"I wouldn't know; I wasn't there when the Jonin-Sensei nominated their teams." Inoichi offered Naruto an apologetic look.

Naruto sighed. "Dammit."

Kyuu-Kensuke watched the exchange with amusement. While Naruto would remember Mito and demand the rest of the story, perhaps it was better to continue the half-truth the former Biju had divulged. The history he had with Mito was far too relevant to his current situation than he liked to admit – even to himself.

* * *

Shogi tiles clacked against the board in rapid succession. Inoichi gave no quarter in his assault, well aware of who his opponent was. "You're being too reckless with your knight, and your bishop is far more defensive than usual."

"Your point?" Shikaku's bishop moved forward, into the vanguard.

"You're curious." Inoichi moved his rook, sending it after the bishop. "He's calling himself Kensuke."

"His choice?" Shikaku pulled the bishop back on the defensive.

"Naruto's." Inoichi moved his knight. Too much focus on the bishop would blind him to the bigger picture.

"He's acting remarkably human." Shikaku moved his own knight, after eyeing his rook.

"Exhibiting humanoid intelligence, you mean." Inoichi pulled his rook back, moving on the defensive. "I was surprised too. Ibiki reports were understated. He has an extensive memory. I would love to read Lady Mito's personal journals. He has an extensive history with her."

"Former Jinchuuriki. Expected." Shikaku moved to attack Inoichi's rook.

"There was a declaration of love for her." Shikaku paused at this remark, and Inoichi took the advantage, stealing the attacking knight.

"Unexpected." Shikaku went on the offensive with his rook, which stole Inoichi's own knight. "I'll see what I can dig up. Three days for report."

"So, tomorrow night, then?" Inoichi's bishop and rook were soon lost, and he accepted defeat with grace. Shikaku glared despite the win.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate you?"

"Do you want the list chronologically or alphabetized by adjoining adjective?"

Shikaku stared. "...adjoining adjective?"

"We're getting off-topic. Kensuke. Lady Mito's personal journals." Inoichi began to clean-up, sorting the Shogi pieces.

"Yeah, yeah, you'll have it _sunrise_ day after tomorrow." Shikaku returned to glaring, folding up the Shogi board. "But what are the plans for this Kensuke?"

Inoichi sighed. "Letting him move in with Naruto. Or moving them into a two-bed apartment, ideally. The big problem is–"

"The Chunin Exams." Shikaku added his own sigh. "Higher priority than Naruto and Kensuke. Speaking of, we need to reassess."

"Naruto?"

"The Biju." Inoichi turned and looked at his best friend in surprise. "Kensuke cannot be anomalous in this intelligence. If the Biju can be reasoned with..."

"You're thinking too far ahead." Inoichi shook his head. "First we have to prove that all the Biju have similar sentience and intelligence. What, you think another Biju is just going to appear at Konoha's doorstep for our convenience?"


	13. Cohabitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Discharged from the hospital, Naruto and Kensuke adjust to life together.

Walking hurt again. It shouldn't have hurt, but it did, and so now Naruto was stuck with the crutches again. He had crutches, while Kensuke got to walk out without so much as a limp. Or a scratch.

_Bastard..._

Kensuke walked beside him, a scowl on his face for reasons Naruto didn't understand. All around the two of them, everyone seemed to have nothing better to do than to stare. And whisper. The blond wasn't a stranger to any of it, of course, but it seemed to rub Kensuke the wrong way.

"Hello, my little minion!" Naruto's grumpy mood didn't lighten up as Kakashi-Sensei leaned against the front desk, while Inoichi stood beside him. The nurse manning the desk kept giving the parts of Kakashi leaning on the desk a dark glare, but the Jonin either didn't notice it or ignored it completely. "A bird mentioned that you were getting released today, so I thought that you were lonely and needed some company!"

"That's the worst lie and you know it, Sensei." Naruto groused, shuffling up to the desk to hand in the release papers, only to be blocked by Kakashi-Sensei.

"But I am here to see you off." His single visible eye crinkled in a smile, and was met by Naruto's unimpressed stare. "And I see Kensuke's here with you."

Kensuke pointedly ignored the Jonin, watching everything with a disinterested eye. Naruto wanted to kick him, but didn't want to fall over, so he settled for punching the red-head in the arm. Kensuke glared at Naruto, rubbing at his arm, but didn't retaliate. "What, idiot?"

"This is Kakashi-Sensei." Naruto swept his free arm at the Jonin, and took vicious joy in how Kensuke bristled at being spoken too like he was a toddler. "He's really strong, but also really weird."

"You wound me, minion." Kakashi-Sensei placed a hand over his heart, like it hurt to have his student speak such terrible things. Behind the Jonin, Inoichi coughed to hide the smile on his face. "You're no longer my favorite."

Naruto blinked, thrown by the declaration. He was Kakashi-Sensei's favorite? He wasn't _anyone's_ favorite!

Kensuke's scowl deepened. "Like he was ever your favorite."

Naruto opened his mouth to protest when Inoichi cut in, placing a hand on Kakashi-Sensei's shoulder. "Now, now. You can debate which of your team is Kakashi's favorite later. Even though he shouldn't _have_ any favorites..." Inoichi trailed off, giving Kakashi-Sensei a pointed stare. "Anyway, just hand your discharge papers over to Akio here, and we can be on the way to your apartment."

Naruto gave Kensuke a scathing look, which he promptly ignored, and handed the papers to Aiko. "Sensei, where's Sakura and Sasuke?" He blinked, squinting at Kakashi-Sensei suspiciously. "You aren't putting off meeting with them, are you?"

"Oh, no." Kakashi-Sensei gave Naruto a disappointed look. "They're currently taking the Chunin Exams with the temporary teammate."

"What?!" Naruto glared. "They're taking those without me. Kakashi-Sensei you–"

"Should be with all the other Jonin-Sensei right now," Inoichi interrupted, still giving Kakashi-Sensei the pointed stare. "Or don't you know that? I remember how much Minato talked about–"

"How wonderful I was, yes yes." Kakashi-Sensei started bustling Naruto and Kensuke toward the door. Naruto nudged Kensuke, who dug his heels into the floor, using all of his weight to slow Kakashi-Sensei.

"Wait, wait, wait." Naruto pointed at Inoichi. "You knew Kakashi-Sensei when he was a genin?"

"Oh no," Inoichi shook his head. "I never saw Kakashi during... what was it Kakashi? Five minutes?"

"Ten months." Kakashi-Sensei replied in a strained voice.

"Oh yes." Inoichi nodded. "That's right. They couldn't make you bypass genin entirely because the Sandaime wasn't convinced of making someone as young as you capable of leading a team. It took minato eight months to convince everyone."

"Eight months?!" Kakashi froze. "Sensei told me–"

"He lied," Inoichi said. "He waited until long enough after your birthday that you wouldn't think it was a birthday present. And because he didn't think that anyone would take a five-year-old as a Chunin seriously. It's also why you didn't become a Jonin until you were about Naruto's age. Minato couldn't stop praising and bemoaning you every time we talked. Shikaku kept heckling him about how the geniuses are always put in charge of the younger geniuses."

Naruto grinned, enjoying every part of this. Kakashi-Sensei was emoting more than he'd ever seen before. "So you knew Kakashi-Sensei's Sensei?"

"Naturally." Inoichi smiled. "We were all part of the same graduating class. Until Kakashi was ten, I got to see him pretty often. Of course, Minato himself was just barely twenty at the time."

"Wait..." Naruto scrunched his face, counting backwards. "Kakashi-Sensei's Sensei was _fifteen_?"

"Like I said, genius is cursed with genius." Inoichi patted Kakashi-Sensei on the back. "And if you want me to stop sharing embarrassing stories about your youth, I'd suggest you go be where you're _supposed_ to, yes?"

Kakashi-Sensei's shoulders slumped. "You're so mean."

"It comes with the territory, kid," Inoichi replied, reaching down to bustle Naruto and Kensuke off of where they were leaning on Kakashi-Sensei. "And before you complain: yes, I do have the authority to call you that."

Kakashi-Sensei pouted – and Naruto was glad, so glad, that he could witness all these emotions on what little of Kakashi-Sensei's face was visible, it was _awesome_ – and stepped back. Naruto readjusted the crutches while Kakashi-Sensei walked out the door... and vanished. Inoichi chuckled, shaking his head. "It never takes much to make Kakashi leave. So, Naruto, Kensuke, let's get you back to your apartment."

The walk back was peppered with Inoichi attempting to make conversation with the two teens, only to encounter stony silence from Kensuke and Naruto grumbling about the unfairness of having to use crutches again. Neither teen was talking to the other, and Naruto didn't know if Kensuke not speaking to him was good or bad.

"Here we are," Inoichi proclaimed, waving at Naruto's apartment. "Until we can find a new place for the two of you to live in, the both of you will have to share Naruto's apartment."

"Yeah, yeah," Kensuke said dismissively, stalking forward and yanking in the door handle. It didn't budge, and Naruto took a bit of satisfaction when he had to saunter up and unlock the door. The little dog keychain jingled against his hand (Kakashi-Sensei had dropped it in his hand when Naruto had pestered him to see these dog summons the man apparently had) as Naruto offered a mocking bow to Kensuke. The red-head huffed, completely ignoring Naruto and walking inside. Naruto flipped off his retreating back.

"Naruto." Inoichi laid a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I have a friend digging around for Mito and Kensuke's past, but it will not hurt to talk to him directly. Anything I or my friend finds will be Mito's side of the story, and it's likely only Kensuke knows what he feels for her."

Naruto squinted up at Inoichi. He honestly hadn't expected Inoichi to do that for him. He hadn't expected that _anyone_ would ever do anything for him. In the past it had always been Naruto, alone, against the world. "Uh-huh."

Inoichi lingered in the doorway. "I will check in every so often. Expect Ibiki – the man assigned to Kensuke – to drop by as well."

"Got it," Naruto said, irritated. Inside the apartment, Kensuke had draped himself on the bed, glaring sullenly at the two blonds. "Is that it?"

"That's it," Inoichi said. "There's an ANBU squad assigned to shadow you for the time being, I thought you should know. They're watching over Kensuke, we're still not sure..." Inoichi trailed off, looking around. Lowering his voice, he said, "If you want to talk, my family owns a flower shop down by the marketplace. I work there most days, just say you have an appointment with me."

Naruto nodded. Inoichi said his goodbyes, and left the two teens alone. Using the crutches, Naruto moved to where Kensuke was taking up the entirety of the bed. "I have a spare futon under the bed. It's for winter, but I guess you can use it."

"I'm sleeping in a bed," Kensuke grumbled. "This bed. I like it."

Naruto scowled. "Fine! But you're wearing pajamas! I don't wanna share a bed with your naked butt!"

"My naked butt doesn't want to share a bed with you either!" Kensuke growled, glaring at Naruto. "You get the floor."

"Like hell!" Naruto shoved at Kensuke with a crutch. "I'm– what's the smell?"

"Humanity?" Kensuke acerbically asked, grabbing and shoving the crutch away.

"Hey!" Naruto stumbled back, struggling to right himself with the crutches. "I mean, that smell. Like something died– uh-oh."

"What?"

Naruto didn't answer, too busy staring at the basket of rotten vegetables sitting on the counter. Clutching his nose – and hating how he had to alternate between that and holding the crutch – Naruto managed to peek at the card laying atop the basket, the note joyfully saying that he should eat more veggies if he wanted to become Hokage.

"Kakashi-Sensei left vegetables," Naruto said, using one of his crutches to gently shove the basket to the window, and then out it. Kensuke wrinkled his nose as the smell of the rotten fruit made it to him, and snorted when the distant sound of cursing came from the street below.

"That does not explain the smell."

"Yeah, it does." Naruto closed the window, snickering as the man below – an older guy, with big shaggy white hair – wandered off to clean up. "Food can go bad, and when you eat bad food, things happen." Naruto shuddered, remembering the morning of team assignments. "Bad things."

"Does that mean we have no food?" Kensuke asked, crawling into a sitting position to eye the kitchen area. Naruto took a long look at the apartment, dusty from almost two months without someone in it, and could hear his wallet start to moan.

"It means we need to go shopping." Naruto swung out one crutch, experimentally taking several lopsided steps. He sighed, setting the lifted crutch back down. "And yes, both of us. I can't carry the groceries like this."

* * *

 

Choza enjoyed the market, taking a deep breath and letting his sense take it all in. The sounds, sights, and smells of food were everywhere, and he was tasked with finding some good meats for the evening, the family BBQ restaurant ready for when all the rookie genin teams came in to celebrate the winners and console the losers. Word had already spread that the third round would have a preliminary round that afternoon to weed the remaining genin down to a reasonable number – like that didn't happen every other year.

The nobles enjoyed watching a small number of genin fighting mock battles, less than a dozen, not over two dozen genin in a competition that would span days. For them, the third round of the Chunin Exams was a lovely day trip to see what a Shinobi could do. Choza remembered the time he took the exam, putting his all into proving that he was worth the promotion. He also remembered how exhausting it was, and figured that it was a kindness to offer the family restaurant as someplace for the genin teams to eat.

Two hours and several dozen beef loins later, Choza ran across a blond and a red-head, both about Choji's age, and both deep in argument.

"Excuse me." Choza stepped in, the stall owner looking relieved at the intervention, and pointed at a nice tenderloin. "Two of these, please." To the boys, he said, "So you must be Naruto and Kensuke. Inoichi didn't mention that you were out of the hospital."

Naruto squinted, while Kensuke huffed, taking the opportunity to point to the T-bone and declare his desire for that. Naruto whipped around, hissing, "Kensuke, no! We're not getting that! I barely have a kitchen to make anything in. We're here to get fresh food _that I can make_ , not fancy foods that take _forever_ to cook and _only Tenzo knows how to make_!"

Choza managed to stifle his laughter, taking the tenderloins and pointing at the T-bone. "That too, please." He looked down at the teens. "I might know a thing or two about cooking a T-bone."

Naruto waved Choza off while Kensuke glared sullenly. "We don't want your help."

"I'm offering," Choza chortled. "And besides, Inoichi would be beside himself if he ever learned that you boys weren't being taken care of."

"How do you know him?" Naruto asked, suspicious.

"We're old teammates and even older friends," Choza said. He took the T-bone, handing it out for Naruto to take. Kensuke snatched it, adding it to the large number of bags draping off his shoulders and arms. "I think our kids were in your academy class. Choji and Ino?"

"Choji?" Naruto repeated, his eyes widening in recognition. "Oh! Choji! You're his dad? Wait. Inoichi's _Ino's_ dad?"

"Yep!" Choza puffed up, proud. "My Choji and Shikaku's kid are old friends too, as well as teammates."

"Thank you for your assistance," Kensuke said, butting in. "We have shopping to do. I understand that food can go bad. We must return these items to the brat's apartment–"

"Hey!"

"–before they go bad," Kensuke finished, holding up the many bags. Choza chuckled while Naruto steamed in anger.

"Food doesn't go bad that fast," Choza said. "It varies. I can get Inoichi to tell me where you live, and I can stop by with some recipe books later. I know a good one you can use for that T-bone."

"Is it spicy?" Kensuke asked, curious in spite of himself.

"It's spiced enough," Choza said.

"Hey, if you're friends with Inoichi..." Naruto wondered, leading Kensuke away from the stall. He got a familiar glint in his eye. "Does that mean you know embarrassing stories about Kakashi-Sensei from his Sensei?"

"Minato, you mean?" Choza hummed. "He was more Inoichi and Shikaku's friend than mine. Half the stuff he talked about flew over my head. The guy wasn't called a genius for nothing." Choza chuckled. "But I do recall a certain teenager complaining about having to raise a kid. Like he wasn't an old man at heart already." Choza grinned. "Be glad that you aren't a genius. It sucks the fun out of everything."

"Thank you," Kensuke repeated, tugging on Naruto. "Now we really must be going."

"Will you hold on?" Naruto complained, following Kensuke. He waved goodbye to Choza, entering a heated debate over what spices to get, and whether it was worth it to get a new futon. Choza walked away from the market in a good mood, making a special note to visit Inoichi.

After all, it wasn't every day that one met the human form of the Kyuubi.

* * *

 

That evening, Naruto got pulled by his teacher into attending a large dinner for all the genin celebrating... something. Kensuke – and it was _still_ odd, getting used to having that as a name – didn't care to find out. Nor did he care to listen to Naruto's grumblings about missing out on a chance for promotion.

Unfortunately for Kensuke, he had no choice but to go with Naruto. Well, that wasn't exactly true, but going to a BBQ place for food was better than ruining the meat so graciously given in his first attempt at cooking.

"So you're... Kensuke, was it?" Naruto's one teammate – the girl, not that Kensuke was interested in their names – asked, moving into step beside him. They were all together, heading toward the food place– a restaurant, Naruto had corrected him, before settling into badgering his other teammate – the bastardly Uchiha with chakra of a similar feel to that poisonous Madara – about the details of the something he didn't care for.

"I am," he allowed, if for no other reason than indulging her now would save him a mess of trouble in the future. "Uzumaki Kensuke."

"So you're related to Naruto?" The Bastard Uchiha asked, walking faster than Naruto could, leaving the blond squawking in outrage behind them. Kensuke humphed, slowing down to walk beside Naruto. If the bastard wanted to talk so much, he would have to get through Naruto.

Naruto made a face while his Sensei chuckled, his chakra flaring in amusement. In a nearby shadow, Kensuke could feel the Wood User also take some amusement, and exasperation, out of the question. "Ew! We're not related!"

"He has your family name," the girl said, moving back into step along with the Uchiha.

"I am related to your Hokage's wife," Kensuke curtly said. "There is no relation between this one and I."

Naruto squinted, while Kensuke felt the hard stares of everyone on him.

"The Sandaime's wife?" the girl asked aloud, more to herself than to anyone else.

"The Shodai's," Naruto's Sensei butted in. "Although she hasn't much of a relation to Naruto either. At best, you could say they're very distantly related."

"That's for sure," the Uchiha snorted. Naruto snarled, and Kensuke allowed himself a grin. Even though his connection with the boy was no longer, there were still moments that the boy proved valuable to keep around.

"Like you're one to talk!" Naruto growled. "I don't see you finding long-lost family, bastard."

The air became tense, and Kensuke paused. Naruto, it seemed, had made an error of some sort. The Uchiha had gone still, his face becoming redder and more thunderous with each passing moment. Before he could go off, however, Naruto's Sensei – which, Kensuke might have to actually learn everyone's names, for the sake of parsing each one out in his mind – intervened, placing a hand on both boy's shoulders and gave them both a not-very-friendly grin. "Well, now. Looks like you two might need a reminded about manners. And here I thought my young minions knew better."

Kensuke scoffed, pulling Naruto toward the restaurant. He could feel a familiar chakra there – the man from earlier, the one Naruto had identified as Choji's dad. Kensuke knew enough about Naruto to know that whoever this Choji was, he was very much a classmate.

"Come," Kensuke barked. "If anyone's going to be teaching you manners, it's me. Because your manners are _atrocious_!"

"Atrocious, huh?" Naruto snorted, even though it was obvious he didn't recognize the word. "That mean awful? Because you're the atrocious one."

Kensuke paused, looking at Naruto in shock. He recalled similar words spoken between himself and Mito, so long ago. She had called his manners atrocious, while he'd countered with almost the exact same phrase Naruto had used. Was it history repeating itself, or something more?

"Let's go inside," the girl offered, trying to break through everyone's ugly mess of problems. "I'm sure Ino-pig's– Ino's waiting for us."

"Huh?" Naruto looked away, at the restaurant, and brightened. "Oh, hey! I can ask her about her dad! You're brilliant, Sakura!"

"Her... dad?" the girl – Sakura, Kensuke filed away in his mind – repeated, trying to find sense in that phrase. "How do you know Ino's dad?"

"We've met a couple times," Naruto said, waving his hand. "Guy's pretty cool. I dunno how he can a dad, though." Naruto shrugged, and quieter he mumbled, "Not like I know what a dad looks like."

"I want food," Kensuke butted in, distracting Naruto. "And you're moping is keeping me from the food. And I don't want to have to ask the Wood User," here Kensuke waved at the spot of shadow the man was hiding in, "for food any more than I want to be _speaking_ to him."

"Eh? Tenzo's here?" Naruto peered at the shadow, which the Wood User melted out of. Naruto brightened, waving excitedly. "Hey Tenzo! Thank you for letting us stay in your cabin!"

The Wood User sheepishly waved back, before fading into the shadows once more. Naruto's team were all staring at Kensuke, but he ignored their stares, instead bustling Naruto into the restaurant so he could get the food.

Inside the restaurant, Kensuke was pulled away from the tables of delicious smells to a large group of people – including Inoichi, Choji's dad, and a large number of Naruto's classmates and their families. Kensuke squinted at such a large group, but sat between Naruto and a brown-haired boy with a small dog peeking out of his jacket.

"Oi, who's this?" The boy asked, looking at Kensuke suspiciously.

"Uzumaki Kensuke," Kensuke introduced himself, loud enough for the rest of the table to hear. "And no, I am not related to this one."

"Yes, you are!" Naruto protested, shuffling into the seat beside Kensuke. He practically shoved his crutches onto Kensuke's lap, and it was only that they were also on Naruto's lap that kept him from shoving them off. Instead, he snarled, all teeth, that was matched by Naruto's own snarl. "You and me're family now!"

"We met Kensuke on our last mission," Naruto's Sensei added, taking over the conversation as he regaled the table with a clearly-false story of how they'd discovered a relation to Naruto in the wake of an unexpected battle that left Naruto injured, and the two were confined together while Naruto recovered to ensure that Kensuke was who he claimed to be. Both of Naruto's teammates didn't look like they believed that, but Kensuke couldn't care less what they believed. He was there now, and he was there to stay.

The Sensei finished the story, and everyone introduced themselves to Kensuke, asking about his past, how he was related to Naruto, where he'd been, and all those kinds of annoying questions that Kensuke hated.

"I've been around," Kensuke said dismissively. "It was by chance that I came across Naruto. I was exploring and things seemed to... what's the phrase?"

"Snowball out of control?" the Sensei – Kensuke finally recalled the man's name, Kakashi-Sensei, it had been bugging him all day – offered, and Kensuke nodded.

"That. Yes." Kensuke shrugged. "He and I have been together ever since."

"Enough about Kensuke!" Naruto butted in, impatient and irritated. "What about the exams! C'mon, guys, talk! What's it like?"

Across the table, Inoichi chuckled. "Only you, Naruto."

His daughter looked from Naruto to Inoichi, confused. "How do you two know each other? Daddy!"

"I've had to help Naruto get along with his new family," Inoichi calmly replied. "And don't you tell him a thing. What happens during the first two stages of the Chunin Exams doesn't get talked about. That form you signed saying you'll participated also means you can't talk about it."

"What?!" Naruto protested.

"But," Inoichi held up a hand. "That doesn't mean we can't talk about our finalists here."

Naruto perked up, while Kensuke started to pile meat to cook. "What finalists? There's gonna be a finalist?"

"It's a big tournament," Kakashi-Sensei said. "Public for anyone to watch, provided they manage to get seating. Sasuke's one of the finalists."

"And me!" Kiba boasted. From within his jacket, there was a muffled _boof_. "Akamaru too! And Shino!"

Kiba clapped the covered teen beside him. Kensuke found the guy a little grating on the senses, a multitude of chakras buzzing and crawling around and all over each other.

"Don't for get me and Shikamaru," Choji offered, watching his own meat cook. "We beat our guys too."

Beside Choji, Shikamaru snorted. He was watching Kensuke with sharp eyes. "Barely."

"Irrelevant," Kensuke declared, reaching out with his chopsticks. The meat smelled delicious and ready to eat. "We're here for food, so– hey!"

Kensuke snarled as Naruto snatched his hand, pulling it away from the food. "No! You aren't getting the spiced beef. Not again."

"I want the food," Kensuke growled, switching the chopsticks to his other hand. It felt clunky, but he was able to wield them well enough. Naruto reached out, stopping Kensuke's other hand. Kensuke stilled, slowly turning to look directly at Naruto. "I am hungry. This is a place of food. It stands to reason that I can eat."

" _Not_ the spiced beef," Naruto insisted, his voice tight.

Kensuke tilted his head. "I like the spiced beef. You know this."

Naruto turned a deep red, almost steaming in embarrassment. "I know. But they shouldn't. Don't you remember how you– the sounds you–"

"I remember," Kensuke calmly said, relaxing his arms to his lap. Naruto loosened his grip, not looking away from Kensuke. In that moment, Kensuke lunged, trying to get food. Naruto lunged as well, flinging himself on top of Kensuke to prevent the red-head from getting the spiced beef. Kensuke's chopsticks clacked inches from the beef, stopped by Naruto's shoulder jutting into his elbow, and Kensuke spat out a multitude of curses. He was hungry, dammit, and it was torture to be kept from all this delicious food.

The two of them climbed all over each other, the crutches clattering to the floor. Kensuke felt his chopsticks catch on something, and held it up, triumphant. Naruto glared from Kensuke's lap, until the both of them saw that it was a piece of fried broccoli. Naruto grinned, smug, while Kensuke grumbled about the unfairness of the world.

He still ate the broccoli, resigned to a dinner without the spiced beef. Several moments later, Kensuke helped Naruto get righted again, putting a large number of vegetables in front of Naruto as revenge. Naruto growled, but ate all of them, the two glaring at each other as they were prevented from eating any of the beef or pork by the other.

Across the table, Inoichi sighed and palmed his head, shaking it in exasperation. Outside, Kensuke sensed the Wood User collapse to his knees, chakra shuddering in amusement.

* * *

 

Later on, Kensuke laid in the bed, partly cuddled by Naruto. The two had argued extensively, but in the end, Naruto had accepted that they both would have to share the bed – on the condition that Kensuke not go naked.

Naruto, despite his protests otherwise, fell asleep quickly, spreading out across the bed, and over Kensuke. He'd considered shoving the blond off the bed, but decided against it, as it was _he_ who was intruding on the bed, not Naruto.

All told, Kensuke figured that living with Naruto was... not terrible. And that being a human for the rest of his days would not be so bad. The food was good, and even if many people were unbearable, there were few enough to almost make it worth...

Worth being Uzumaki Kensuke. Worth being human.

It didn't stop him from wondering, from guessing how things would be different had this happened back during Mito's time. He could have joined her in drinking tea – could finally taste ginseng tea, and see why she loved it so – and seen along in the raising of her children. Perhaps he could even have learned to forgive humanity.

Kensuke laid his head back on the pillow, frowning in disgust when wetness seeped through his shirt. Glancing down, he spotted Naruto drooling all over him, and gently shoved the blond so he was drooling on the bed instead of on Kensuke. He took off the shirt, tossing it aside – he didn't want to sleep in one anyway, and considered whether he could get away with moving Naruto so he could drool all over his boxers – and laid back.

But if he had gotten free back then, had become human when Mito was so young, then Kushina wouldn't have traveled to Konoha. Not that Kensuke minded that, no, but... without Kushina meeting Naruto's father when she did, without their lives progressing as it did, Naruto wouldn't exist. Oh, perhaps a likeness would happen, a soul similar enough to the blond, but without a life like he had, with a loving family and maybe a different parent, it wouldn't be Naruto. Kensuke had to admit, just to himself, that in that instance he would miss Naruto.

Kensuke sighed, turning to look at the full moon, high in the sky. He didn't like Naruto, having been the person Kensuke had been trapped within for over a decade, but there were worse people to have had this happen to. There were worse people to live with. Naruto was upbeat and hotheaded and so like Kushina at times that it make Kensuke want to rip his hair out, but he was also like Mito, stubborn and full of faith that everyone had good in them.

Mito was over twenty years gone, Kensuke knew. There was no turning back time, no changing fate. It was time to let go, time to stop grieving. It was time to–

Kensuke startled, jerking up so fast that Naruto got knocked away. The blond shifted, blinking his eyes and squinting ominously at Kensuke.

"What's the big deal?" Naruto grumbled. "Why'd you–"

"Shukaku is here." Kensuke tilted his head. "I can feel it. He's here, within the village."

Naruto rolled onto his belly, head and shoulders propped up by his arms. "Who the hell is Shukaku?"

"His actual title is that of the Ichibi," Kensuke replied, staring out the window. He could sense the windstorm of Shukaku's chakra, dense and wild and untamed. "He is dangerous. He should not be here."

Naruto blinked, nodding resolutely. "Okay. We're going to Inoichi."

Kensuke startled, staring at Naruto in shock. "No. We are not. This matter is not for humans to involve themselves."

"Yeah, well, congrats!" Naruto sat up, waving his hands out. "You're a human just like me!"

"You and I are no ordinary humans," Kensuke replied, standing. "I will seek Shukaku tomorrow and ascertain why he is here."

"No!" Naruto protested. "And do what? So far you can't do a thing. Do you even know any jutsu?"

"Do you?" Kensuke countered, despite the point Naruto made. Shukaku's chakra died down, almost vanishing, and Kensuke's eyes narrowed. Something else was going on. Shukaku would not make himself known for such a short period of time, especially not this far outside his territory. "It seems... you have a point."

"Then we're going to Inoichi, and he can send someone out to stop Shukaku." Naruto paused, looking out the window. "Wait. Shouldn't we be hearing screams or something?"

"He has gone dormant." Kensuke got to his feet. "As you have said, we should inform Inoichi of this development, and begin my training."

"What?" Naruto squinted, pausing halfway through grabbing his crutches. He looked at Kensuke like he was the crazy one. "It's the middle of the night. We'll talk to Inoichi, and start training tomorrow. You and me, we'll find Kakashi-Sensei– dammit, he's probably off training Sasuke. Okay, new plan. We tell Inoichi about Shukaku, get him to find us a sensei, and then ditch that sensei if they're terrible."

Kensuke considered the plan. All things told, it wasn't that bad. Certainly it was flexible in practice, and overly simplistic besides. But a solid plan nonetheless. "Very well. Lead the way to Inoichi's house."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Included some headcanons about Kakashi's youth and early genin days. This chapter was the toughest to get out, and everything from here out should be clear sailing to the end.

**Author's Note:**

> Going to put a new chapter up every Friday. This story won't be nearly as long as Lucidity.


End file.
